‘Dzud’ is a Mongolian word meaning extremely dangerous winter conditions, when livestock are at risk; typically it is when there are extremely low temperatures – currently parts of the country are experiencing -40 deg C and lower – or when there is a very heavy snowfall. As part of the international response to the last dzud, the Mongolian Red Cross Society (MRCS) has distributed humanitarian cash totalling nearly a quarter of a million tugriks, or the equivalent of USD 100 each to 2,740 households, and providing first aid and veterinary kits to 1,740 households in 11 severely affected provinces.

The International Federation of the Red Cross’s February 2017 emergency appeal was increased last October to more than USD 850,000 from USD 655,000, to extend the operation for a further three months.

In November the Mongolian National Agency for Meteorology and Environment Monitoring issued a dzud-risk map for this winter showing 12 provinces or some 40 per cent of the country at ‘extreme risk’ of a dzud and about 20 per cent at ‘high risk’.

The MRCS last month distributed 20 bales of hay to each of 624 vulnerable households in soums (districts) in parts of Tuv and Uvurkhangai provinces assessed from the government map to be at extreme risk of dzud; among other recent interventions, 55 herder households in nine provinces also received help repairing their winter shelters.

The Mongolian government has not formally declared a new dzud this winter or requested international assistance.