Herders lost about nine
million animals in the winter, mainly because there was no food for them at the
unusually low temperature. Many herder families are coming to Ulaanbaatar to make
a new life, while weather forecasts caution about another harsh winter this
year.

Red Cross Mongolia, Red
Cross Finland and the European Union have joined hands to provide assistance to
herders in the five provinces that suffered most. Altogether  3000 herder families, all with fewer than 100
animals, in Gobi-Altai, Zavkhan, Arkhangai, Khuvsgul and Uvurkhangai provinces
will be given 6,000 tons of hay  prepared
by 200 volunteers.