For Immediate Release
Press Release
The U.S. government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is giving assistance to an additional 2,000 households in response to the worsening dzud affecting Mongolian herders. This brings the total amount of U.S. government aid committed for dzud assistance in the past month to MNT ₮3,058,179,445 ($900,000), which is being used to provide hay, veterinary supplies, and cash assistance to 2,700 herder households. USAID is also supporting efforts to clear blocked roads to ensure that the aid reaches those that need it.
This year’s dzud is already considered the worst in more than a decade, as the country is experiencing the most snowfall seen in 49 years and extreme temperatures continue to impact herder households in 20 of 21 provinces. Government officials estimated at the end of February that 52,000 kms of roads were impassable due to weather conditions, making distributing aid even more difficult. It is estimated that 2 million livestock have already died from the dzud.
The United States continues to carefully monitor the impacts of the extreme cold and heavy snow on families and livestock. While visiting the Mongolian Red Cross Society’s operations center today to help distribute the first package of aid to 700 vulnerable households, U.S. Ambassador Richard Buangan said, “This additional funding builds on ongoing response efforts happening at the state, aimag, and soum levels to protect the livelihoods of herder families. As Mongolia’s enduring partner and strategic third neighbor, we are committed to stand with the Mongolian people during this especially challenging winter.”
Mongolian Red Cross Society Secretary General Bolormaa Nordov said, “We appreciate the U.S. Ambassador’s visit to our distribution center today. This contribution from the U.S. Embassy to the Mongolian Red Cross will directly help Mongolian families get through this very difficult time. The assistance will go a long way in helping preserve their livelihoods so that they can continue their proud traditional way of life.”
USAID works year-round to strengthen Mongolia’s resilience against dzuds and other natural disasters. These disaster risk reduction programs include training and support for the Mongolian Red Cross Society, Incident Command System training with the National Emergency Management Agency, and capacity building for livestock disease surveillance.
The U.S. government, through USAID, has been helping Mongolian communities to be more resilient to disasters and better able to handle their impacts. Since 2010, USAID has provided nearly $8 million to support disaster risk reduction programs in Mongolia.
