The European Union is to provide EUR 100,000 (almost 335 million Mongolian Tugrik) in humanitarian aid funding to assist the most vulnerable communities after a series of floods that have wreaked havoc across different parts of Mongolia since mid-June.

The aid will directly benefit 3,700 affected people in the provinces of Arkhangai, Khentii, Khuvsgul, Orkhon, Tuv and Uvs, as well as in Bayanzurkh and Sukhbaatar districts in the capital of Ulaanbaatar.

The EU funding supports the Mongolian Red Cross Society (MRCS) in delivering assistance through cash grants that will cover urgent needs for those worst affected by the floods.

The aid will also provide essential relief items, such as kitchen sets and hygiene kits, to people who have lost their belongings.

This will ensure that good hygiene practices are maintained during the recovery period while contributing to the prevention of water-borne and communicable diseases, which are common in the aftermath of floods.

The funding is part of the EU’s overall contribution to the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Since mid-June, Mongolia has suffered a sequence of prolonged, torrential rains which have triggered floods in at least 10 provinces across the country, affecting close to 14,000 people.

More than 3,500 houses and essential infrastructure, including main roads and bridges, have been damaged.

More than 6,000 livestock, the main source of income for many in the country, have also perished, disrupting day-to-day lives and leaving the livelihoods of the impacted families in tatters, the EU Delegation to Mongolia said.