OCHA Situation Report No. 1 Mongolia - Dzud 18 December 2000
The Government of Mongolia requests International Assistance to cope with Devastating Winter Conditions - Dzud On Friday, 15 December 2000, during a meeting between the Permanent Representative of Mongolia to the UN and the UN Emergency Relief Co-Ordinator a.i., Mongolia has officially asked the United Nations for advice and support in bringing the desperate situation in Mongolia to the attention of the international community, especially the organizations that deal with humanitarian and natural disasters. BACKGROUND 1. In 1999/2000 Mongolian herders experienced their worst winter for 30 years. This disaster, called Dzud in Mongolian, was the result of the unusually dry weather in summer 1999 compounded by the particularly harsh weather experienced since the beginning of the winter. The snow began earlier than expected and fell without respite. Temperatures dropped to subnormal levels (minus 46 degrees centigrade in some areas). 2. Other factors contributed to the scale and severity of the disaster, such as overstocking and overgrazing leading to environmental degradation, the disappearance of previously abundant grasses, reduced animal fat reserves, inadequate hay preparation in the autumn, and virtually non-existent veterinary services leading to declining health conditions amongst herds. 3. According to the State Emergency Commission, 4 persons died during the 1999/2000 dzud and the number of dead animals in the affected aimags (provinces) reached approximately 2.4 million. 1.1 million people live in the 13 affected aimags, that is 45% of the population of Mongolia. Of this population, more than 400,000 people were directly or indirectly affected by the dzud. According to the Mongolian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the dzud calamity caused damage estimated at Tug 85.9 billion (approx. USD 78.3 million). 2,369 herding families have lost their entire livestock. 4. In February 2000, the Government requested international assistance and in 3 April the UN launched its Inter-Agency Appeal for Mongolia. The appeal, based on two assessment missions, was designed by the UN Disaster Management Team (UN-DMT) to provide disaster-affected areas with emergency relief in the sectors of food security (through agriculture), water supply and irrigation, nutrition, health, education, livestock, and coordination and monitoring, for a total of USD 2,981,000. The UN Appeal generated approximately USD 230,000, a sum that fell far short of the objective. However, substantial assistance was provided bilaterally or by other international organizations, such as the IFRC. In total, international contributions worth USD 16.9 million were reported to OCHA. 5. During the summer and autumn 2000, more than 60% of the Mongolian countryside suffered drought or semi-drought conditions, particularly in the territories of Uvs, Zavkhan, Gobi-Altai, Dundgobi, and Ovorkhangai. As there was no rain until August and therefore very little pasture growth, large numbers of livestock have gained insufficient body weight to endure the coming winter. In addition, the pastureland and crop areas in many central and western aimags have been seriously damaged by mice, grasshoppers and other insects resulting in malnutrition of animals and shortage of hay and fodder required for the winter. SITUATION 6. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported through the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Ulaanbaatar, that large parts of the aimags of Bayankhongor, Bulgan, Dornod, Dornogobi, Gobi-Altai, Hentii, Khovd, Khuvsgul, Ovorkhangai, Selenge, Sukhbaatar, Tov, Uvs, and Zavkhan have already been affected by heavy snowfall. The average depth of snow was 60 to 70 cm in mountain areas and 15 to 20 cm in steppe regions. Average temperatures in these areas range from minus 25 to minus 30 degrees centigrade. Roads and mountain passes have already been blocked by snow and dzud conditions appear to be forming. 7. 34 herders'households from Khovd are winter camping with their 36,100 animals in the neighbouring soums of Bayanolgii, Uvs and Gobi-Altai aimags, and 37 households with 17,900 animals are camping for the winter in the national parks in the Khouhk Sekhiin mountain ranges and in Dund gol. In Zavhan aimag, 476 herder households with 238,000 livestock are winter camping in the neighbouring aimags of Khuvsgul, Gobi-Altai, Arkhangai, Bayankhongor. 64 households with 32,200 animals are winter camping in the protected areas of the Ontontenger and Tarbagtai mountain ranges and 326 households with 163,000 livestock are to move to remote pastures to soums of Zavhan aimag. A similar situation exists in Khuvsgul where 1,000 families will move to other soums within the aimag. 8. Latest news reports indicate that the early snowstorms have killed already almost 16,000 head of livestock and more losses are expected in the near future. Government officials report that requests for assistance, have been received from several aimags. NATIONAL RESPONSE 9. Since summer, the Government has taken appropriate preparedness measures such as stocking grass fodder in the State Security Fodder Fund. A considerable amount of funds has been allocated for this purpose. Tug 200 million (approx. USD 180,000) were made available to transport grass fodder to the countryside. Action is underway to distribute and deliver over 10,000 tons of grass fodder supplied by Japan to compensate for the damages caused by last year's dzud. The Government also decided to supply cars for health services in soums in dzud conditions. 10. The Government has identified the following assistance needs: - Ambulance cars; - Diesel and other fuel and lubricants; - Medicine and hospital equipment; - Consumer goods including cattle fodder, rice, millet and other cereals, vegetable fish oil, tobacco, candles and matches; - Well pumps and hand pumps, solar and wind batteries; - Warm clothes for herders; - Financial assistance; - Chemical substances to combat steppe-mice, grass-hoppers and other rodents; - Compact and long distance communication device. INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE AND POSSIBLE FUTURE STEPS 11. In October 2000, the Government of Japan decided to extend an emergency grant aid of JPY 1.043 billion (USD 10 million) to be used to purchase essential commodities including fodder and medicines for the afflicted people and their livestock to the Government of Mongolia, which has sustained serious damage from heavy snowfall last winter and a disastrous drought this summer. 12. IFRC mentioned in its situation report no.8 that winter had already started in some parts of Mongolia and that particularly harsh winter conditions are forecasted. 13. The UN RC informed OCHA early December that the Government has requested additional support from the UN with respect to disaster assessment and possibly program development. As an immediate measure, OCHA dispatched its Regional Disaster Response Advisor in Asia to Mongolia to assist the UN-DMT in drafting a response preparedness plan. The RDRA stayed for one week in Mongolia (8-14 December 2000). 14. OCHA also suggested that a media strategy to raise international awareness and stimulate donor interest in Mongolia be developed. This strategy should include the launching of press releases and possibly a joint media/UN mission to Mongolia, led by a high level UN official. In addition, a United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team could be deployed in the near future to assist the UN-DMT in their on-going efforts. OCHA is ready to release funds from its own sources, as well as from the Emergency Grant Reserve for natural disasters funded by the Governments of Denmark and Norway. 15. OCHA is prepared to serve as a channel for cash contributions to be used for immediate relief assistance, in coordination/consultation with relevant organizations in the United Nations system. Funds should be transferred to OCHA account No. CO-590.160.0, Swift code: UBSWCHZ12A at the UBS AG, P.O. Box 2770, CH-1211 Geneva 2, with reference: OCHA - Mongolia - Snowstorms. OCHA provides donors with written confirmation and pertinent details concerning the utilization of the funds contributed. For coordination purposes, donors are requested to inform OCHA Geneva, as indicated below, of bilateral relief missions/pledges/contributions and their corresponding values by item. 16. This situation report, together with further information on ongoing emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website at http://www.reliefweb.int Telephone: +41-22-917 12 34 Fax: +41-22-917 00 23 In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10 Desk Officers: Ms. S. Metzner-Strack / Mr. R. Mueller / Mr. S. Matsuka Direct Tel. +41-22-917 21 44 / 31 31 / 40 34 Press contact: (in GVA) Mr. Donato Kiniger-Passigli, direct Tel. +41-22-917 26 53 (in NY) Ms. Phyllis Lee, direct Tel. +1-212-963 48 32 distributed by - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Volunteers in Technical Assistance Disaster Information Center lists: www.vita.org/listsub.htm sitreps nat-dsr web: www.vita.org fireline - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
: 01/04/01 EST