Overcoming the dzud together: Assisting total of 660 herder households and their children
In this time of the year when Mongolians are celebrating our traditional Lunar New Year or Tsagaan Sar holiday all across the country, dzud risk remains high in most regions of the country.
Here in this article, some of the important numbers that's indicating the effect of dzud as well as its current condition. Mongolia is highly vulnerable to severe winter conditions and cold waves, known locally as ‘Dzud’. World Vision is particularly concerned about the well-being of vulnerable children in the affected areas as the risk will be higher at the peak of the winter season (December to March). This natural phenomenon that is unique to Mongolia is a consequence of summer drought followed by heavy snowfalls and extreme cold. In this case, the Mongolia Meteorological Agency has announced an early warning for Dzud. About 60% of the total territory is at high risk (16% very high, 43% high), more than 30% (33%) is at moderate risk, and about 10% is at low or minimal risk.
World Vision Mongolia is consistently working towards providing herder communities and their children support who are being severely affected by dzud throughout the winter. Despite the warmer season is approaching, the risks of dzud are still threatening herders. Thus, based on the emerging needs of help to overcome such disaster, with funding from the Start Network, World Vision Mongolia has begun implementing humanitarian projects to assist total 660 herder households and their children under vulnerable situation living in Arkhangai and Uvurkhangai and its chosen 6 soums that are under the critical situation of dzud disaster. We are working closely with local governments of target areas to select our beneficiaries to distribute the humanitarian packages starting from February 28th to March 5th, 2023.