“CNN” agency pointed out that the mongolians are facing harsh spring and winter, and many animals are dying. Below is an article titled “Nearly 5 million animals dead in Mongolia’s harshest winter in half a century”.

Mongolia is freezing through its harshest winter in half a century with extreme conditions killing more than 4.7 million animals and threatening the livelihoods and food supply of thousands of people, the International Federation of the Red Cross has warned.

The severe conditions, known as dzud, are characterized by plunging temperatures and deep snow and ice that blanket grazing areas and cut off access to food for livestock.

About 300,000 people in Mongolia are traditional nomadic herders and depend on their cattle, goats and horses for food and to sell at market.

Since November, at least 2,250 herder families have lost more than 70% of their livestock, according to the IFRC. More than 7,000 families now lack access to adequate food, it added.

The dzud has affected three-quarters of the country but conditions are expected to worsen as winter continues.

“Now it’s spring, but the winter is dragging on in Mongolia, there’s still snow on the ground, and the livestock are still dying,” said Matheou.

The Mongolian government declared a state of heightened readiness last month that would last until May 15, and on Tuesday the IFRC launched an appeal for funds to alleviate the suffering of people who have lost their livelihoods.

“Even with high levels of preparedness, which there has been in Mongolia this year and in previous years, it’s not adequate to cope with the extremity of the conditions,” said Matheou. “We’ve done a lot of preparedness and the scale of it still took us by surprise.”

The dzud has had a devastating economic toll for herders and caused disruptions to travel, trade and access to healthcare and education for many Mongolians, especially those living in rural areas, as heavy snow cuts off road access.