May 28, 2011
Mongolia
In the winter of 2009/2010, Mongolia was affected by a peculiar natural disaster called dzud. As a result of vast livestock losses, many pastoral families found themselves in the state of having a pressing food shortage.
Dzud is a result of multiple factors occurring at once – poor grass yield due to a dry summer, above-average layer of snowfalls preventing animals from grazing and extreme frosts, which decimate weakened livestock and also endanger people. Due to the fact that pastoralism is the main livelihood of approximately one third of the Mongolian population, significant livestock losses present a danger to the countryside inhabitants’ existence.
Caritas CR allocated CZK 50,000 from its crisis fund for immediate help. Another CZK 50,000 was provided by Diocesan Caritas Litoměřice and CZK 23,000 was donated by small donors. This money was used by Caritas CR workers in Mongolia for purchase of 5,250 kg of flour, 1050 kg of rice and 220 kg of sugar. These food supplies were distributed to 150 families in the provinces of Hovsgol (north Mongolia) and Ovorhangai (central Mongolia) who had lost all their livestock or a majority of it.
A further, 4,350 kg of fodder and 350 kg of dried milk were also purchased for the starving cattle of 175 herdsmen in the Ovorhangai province. This help enabled the families and animals to survive the critical weeks and months until time when long-term aid focused on the restoration of their livelihoods became available.
