Mongolian severe winter condition 'dzud' kills 700,000 head of livestock
Mongolia’s harsh winter has killed more than 700,000 heads of livestock in the first two months of this year which is a toll five times higher than the same period last year.
According to the National Statistics Office, Mongolia’s harsh winter has killed more than 700,000 heads of livestock in the first two months of this year which is a toll five times higher than the same period last year. Furthermore, it is considered the highest toll since 2011 with extreme weather freezing animals dead in their tracks. Hence, Mongolia is in the midst of a winter phenomenon called a dzud, when extremely low temperatures and snow make it difficult for animals to survive. The total number of livestock reached 66.2 million as of December 2017. Moreover, Mongolia’s winters have destroyed the livelihoods of thousands of herders, forcing them to move to the capital, Ulaanbaatar, in search of work and in total, 12 provinces are facing dzud conditions, with snowfall covering half the country. However, experts warn the dzud could still kill many animals, with a severe drought that hit 70 percent of the country last summer leaving vast numbers of undernourished livestock weak and vulnerable. According to the Mongolian Red Cross Society, thousands of families were unable to prepare feed to sustain their animals through the winter. The society has spent $500,000 to help 4,500 herder families. About 229,000 Mongolian families depend on animal husbandry for their livelihood.
source: www.reuters.com
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