During the recent extreme weather conditions the Mongolian National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has been on full alert. Approximately, 150 rescue officers have saved a total of 638 people, and dragged 152 cars out of snow drfifts. During the snowstorm, many NEMA received many calls asking from emergency assistance. Many of these were about people who had gone missing, roads blocked by snow, and cars which had either broken down or got stuck in the drifts.

NEMA believes that the decision by the Minister of Transport to order the closing of roads in the country was correct and that many lives were saved as a result.

On the afternoon of Friday 4^th March, NEMA reported that they had found the 86 people, who had been reported missing and that two people had lost their lives, namely, a 46-year-old woman from the in Buyant Soum (district) in Bayan-Ulgii Province, and a 41- year-old woman from Tsogt Soum in Govi-Altai Province; both froze to death.

NEMA is responsible for all aspects of disaster protection and mitigation. Apart from its headquarters in Ulaanbaatar, it has emergeny management divisions and departments in all 21 provinces.