PR21/2010 July 5, 2010, Vienna, Austria
Press inquiries: info@ofid.org
The OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) has approved an emergency relief grant of US$250,000 to Mongolia, to assist communities and families affected by the recent dzud disaster. The crisis has resulted in a decimation of livestock as well the livelihood of families and communities. The OFID grant is a gesture of sympathy and will help provide essential relief supplies and cover emergency operations to be overseen by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
The dzud is an early, heavy snowfall, which wipes out animals and threatens health levels and livelihoods in Mongolia's rural and urban areas. It brings on mass debilitation and starvation. The direct cause of a dzud is a combination of damaging natural hazards, including severe widespread drought in summer, unusually cold temperatures in autumn and winter and subsequent, heavy snowfall. The indirect causes include over-concentration of stock and overgrazing of pastures in some areas, leading to environmental degradation and the disappearance of abundant grass.
This year, the dzud wiped out roughly 300,000 animals in Uvs province and 120,000 in Bayan Ulgii province, both located in the western part of Mongolia. To date, the dzud has destroyed the livelihoods of thousand of families who rely on their livestock for income, food and fuel. More than 7.5 million animals have died so far, representing over 17% of the total livestock of the country. A 35% to 40% increase in under-five mortality in dzud-affected areas is just one indicator of the dramatic impact the disaster is having on the population. Increased acute and chronic malnutrition, micro-nutrient deficiencies among pregnant women, a lack of access to health care, widespread food insecurity, the loss of livelihoods and severe psychological trauma among herders and their families are also being seen.
To meet the needs of the population, the United Nations in Mongolia is collaborating with the National Emergency Management Agency and government ministries to help build national capacity to develop preparedness and response plans for future disasters. Public and non-governmental organizations, as well as the private sector came forward with donations to help herders.
The present emergency program is directed at the most affected herder populations to ensure food security and nutrition; access to basic health services, water, sanitation, hygiene and psychosocial support; education services; the reduction of further herd depletion, and the creation of alternative livelihoods.