Mongolia is one of many countries increasingly affected by climate change. It is already having a profound impact on Mongolia’s weather conditions, increasing frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events or shocks such as severe winter with excessive snow fall, intensification of drought and aridity, rapid melting of permafrost and glaciers. This fundamentally undermines the well-being of children in the countryside.

UNICEF Mongolia in close collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection has designed a pilot programme worth USD 490 000 to provide cash assistance for all children living in the remote rural areas prone to extreme weather shocks. The testing of the pilot started this winter in 4 soums of the Zavkhan province in western part of the country. These soums had the most snowfall this winter since records began. As part of the pilot, all children aged 0-5 living in these villages received cash worth of MNT 40,000 (approximately US$15) through the existing national system for delivery of the Government’s Child Money Programme.

The families used the money to purchase much needed warm clothes and felt boots for children as well as medicines for cold, flu vaccines and vitamins. They said the cash assistance was timely and useful for enabling them to take early action for their children in preparation for the harsh winter.

The second phase of the pilot has covered all 23 rural soums except Uliastai, the provincial center. The pilot reached 6747 children aged 0-5 and all these children received MNT 20 000 for three months, February-April, 2020 through the same national system for delivering government child money programme. The local government, community/bagh leaders, local banks worked collaboratively to distribute appropriate messages and information to herder families on the piloting of the child cash grant to respond to natural shocks and cope with the dzud – as extreme winter weather conditions are known in Mongolian.  

As Zavkhan is coping with aftermath of dzud and COVID-19 pandemic, this child cash grant has become the only source of income for many herders. According to the locals, the prices of goods have gone up, all schools and kindergartens have shut down, many familieslost livestock this winter and prices for cashmere and wool have fallen. So the families were grateful to receive some cash assistance to help them cope during these difficult times. (Source: UNICEF Mongolia)