By Byambajav Enkhbold, World Vision Mongolia
World Vision is gearing up to provide life-saving supplies in Mongolia after days of heavy snow and severe cold wreaked havoc across the nation.
The severely cold weather has claimed over 12,000 livestock all across the country, said Namsrai Dima, deputy director of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) based in Mongolia.
According to the NEMA report, 80 percent of the land is covered in snow varying in depth from 10–35 cm thick, and the average temperature is -28 degrees Celsius, whereas the coldest surfaces reached - 40 degrees.
Many people fear that the loss of livestock on such a large scale would deepen the poverty as the majority of the herders in Mongolia rely heavily on their livestock as their only food and income resource.
To address this issue, World Vision Mongolia expressed an interest in helping the herders by assisting NEMA with the transportation of relief goods. “We would like to help (the NEMA) with the delivery of hay and fodder,” said Kurian James, Head of the Operations department.
Through its 32 Area Development Programmes across the country, World Vision Mongolia will conduct an assessment in the worst affected areas and respond where the greatest needs exist.
State emergency committee has taken actions to help herders suffering from the great loss. Over 900 tons of hay and 2900 tons of fodder have been delivered to the worst affected areas, according to the NEMA report. A total of USD 14,700 dollars worth of medical preparation for livestock was also provided.
Yet, the supply is barely catching up with the demand. “We need more fund to help the herders keep their livestock,” said Mr. Dima.
World Vision Mongolia has been involved in relief projects in the past including, providing food aid to 25,000 people at risk of the H1N1 virus. Since mid-November last year, World Vision Mongolia has been fighting the spread of swine flu through food relief for those at high risk of catching the deadly virus. Within a period of three months, the humanitarian organisation extended its generous hands to the poor, providing basic food and sanitary supplies such as mutton meat, rice, flour, oil, sugar and salt and anti-bacterial soap.
World Vision Mongolia also distributed a three-month coal supply for families without firewood. This relief project was aimed at reducing the risk of infection among the low-income families who cannot afford basic supplies.
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