Mongolia

Foreword by the Resident Coordinator

Mongolia continues to experience the adverse effects of climate change, which poses significant risks for local communities. The country has experienced a 2.46°C degree increase in average air temperatures over the past 80 years, making it one of the countries most affected by climate change. The severity and frequency of natural disasters has doubled, and annual damage costs are estimated to be approximately 50-70 billion MNT (equivalent to USD$14 - 20 million1 ). Mongolia is particularly vulnerable to Dzuds, the severe cold weather phenomena, which have a disastrous impact on the herder’s livelihoods, and with it access to basic needs such as food, health, and education. In the last 10 years alone, the country has experienced six different Dzuds.

A dzud is a slow-onset disaster, resulting in gradual livestock mortality over time due to a prolonged combination of malnutrition and cold stress. Due to the loss of livestock and subsequent impact on livelihoods, compounded with inflation on fuel and food prices, herders are forced to migrate to urban areas, often falling into a cycle of poverty and socio-economic deprivation.

In the summer of 2023, around 60 per cent of the country, particularly the central and eastern regions, experienced favorable summer conditions and stable amount of hay and fodder growth, while the remaining northern and eastern parts experienced dry conditions and drought. Unfortunately, ongoing frequent heavy snowfall and extreme weather pose significant Dzud risks to vulnerable communities which led to rapid interventions both from the Government of Mongolia and the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) in early action and response.

HCT members were first informed of a potential dzud by government organizations including the State Emergency Commission of Mongolia (SEC), the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Light Industry (MOFALI), the National Emergency Management Agency of Mongolia National Agency of Meteorology and Environment Monitoring (NAMEM) in a HCT meeting in December 2023. On 12 January 2024, the UN Resident Coordinator received a letter from H.E. Amarsaikhan S., the Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia, requesting cooperation between the Government and the HCT in overcoming dzud and mitigating the impact on herder households.
Immediately, the UN Resident Coordinator's Office (RCO) in collaboration with SEC and NEMA convened a joint meeting involving ambassadors, development partners, and members of the HCT to foster a shared understanding of the current Dzud situation and the Government's response efforts.

The Dzud Response Plan for 2023/2024 complements the Government of 'Mongolia's Dzud Response Plan.
This plan aims to deliver immediate and life-saving assistance to 76,000 people out of the 200,000 people in need identified by the HCT through a coordinated approach.

Although Dzud occurrences are common in Mongolia, this year's severity is a serious concern. The livelihoods of vulnerable herder households and their socioeconomic situation are under threat. More than 5.2 million heads of livestock are reported to have perished already in this Dzud. This is about 8.1 per cent of the total livestock in the country. The worst is yet to come, the peak of livestock mortality is expected at the end of April. The Government, with the support of the HCT, is continuously monitoring and responding to the evolving situation and providing much needed humanitarian support to affected people to reduce the negative impact of the Dzud for herder households. In the long term, UN agencies will collectively address the issue by partnering with the Government of Mongolia, development partners, and humanitarian organizations on shifting from a life-saving response to one of resilience under the humanitarian–development nexus.

The HCT expresses deep gratitude for the collaborative efforts of the international community in Mongolia, which significantly alleviated the hardships faced by affected communities. We commend the Government's proactive measures to ensure timely action to mitigate the impact of dzud, such as providing discounted hay and fodder to high-risk provinces, destocking and delivering crucial services directly to herder households.

Nevertheless, a stronger sense of solidarity is urgently needed to help herders strengthen their resilience against the prevailing challenges. Despite their diligent preparedness actions, herders require our unwavering support to mitigate risks. Thus, I earnestly appeal for international assistance and the mobilization of additional resources to prevent a further deterioration in the humanitarian situation in Mongolia.

In unison with the entire humanitarian community, I implore your generous and expeditious support for the people of Mongolia at the earliest possible juncture.

TAPAN MISHRA

United Nations Resident Coordinator in Mongolia