The Mongolian Red Cross Society (MRCS) has activated its Early Action Protocol for Dzud. The EAP is to be triggered if three or more provinces have more are at risk of a ‘dzud’ – as extreme winter conditions are known in Mongolia. This is in accordance with a special risk map developed by the National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring (NAMEM). In the dzud risk map, as of 2 January 2020, more than 50 percent of the country has been identified with a high dzud risk (21 percent very high risk, 34 percent with high risk in terms of dzud) and 25 percent of the area are in mid-risk and eight provinces had more than 20 per cent of very high risk coverage in territory. This has been calculated by the MRCS Climate Centre.

On the map, dzud is expected in most areas of Khovd, Gobi-Altai, Uvurkhangai, Dundgobi, Zavkhan, Arkhangai, Bulgan, Khentii, Sukhbaatar, Dornogobi provinces and some areas of Bayan-Ulgii, Uvs, Bayankhongor, Khuvsgul, Tuv, Dornod, Umnugobi provinces. All are expected to experience an extreme winter which will have an impact in the  spring, when this year’s new generation of animals is born.

MRCS will target eight provinces (Govi-Altai, Khovd, Arkhangai, Bulgan, Uvurkhangai, Dundgobi, Sukhbaatar, Khentii) which had more than 20 percent of very high-risk coverage.

MRCS will deliver unrestricted cash assistance and livestock nutrition kits to the 1,000 vulnerable households in the target areas to assist them in meeting their immediate needs and save their livestock and livelihoods. The early action will be completed on 8 March 2020; within two months after the trigger date which was on 8 January 2020.