MONGOLIA: MONGOLIAN FARMERS FACE DIFFICULT TIMES AHEAD FOLLOWING COUNTRY'S MOST SEVERE WINTER IN THIRTY YEARS
Record ID:
636766
MONGOLIA: MONGOLIAN FARMERS FACE DIFFICULT TIMES AHEAD FOLLOWING COUNTRY'S MOST SEVERE WINTER IN THIRTY YEARS
- Title: MONGOLIA: MONGOLIAN FARMERS FACE DIFFICULT TIMES AHEAD FOLLOWING COUNTRY'S MOST SEVERE WINTER IN THIRTY YEARS
- Date: 24th March 2000
- Summary: OELZIT COUNTY, OEVORKHANGAI PROVINCE, MONGOLIA (RECENT MARCH 24, 2000) (REUTERS) 1. VARIOUS OF HERD OF SHEEP (2 SHOTS) 0.09 2. PAN: NOMAD HERDER RUNNING PAST SHEEP 0.16 3. GV: SNOWY MOUNTAINS 0.20 4. MV: FAMILY OF NOMAD HERDERS STANDING OUTSIDE TENT 0.26 5. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Mongolian) OTGONBOLD, NOMAD HERDER, SAYING: "I moved out from Erdenedalai in October and brought my herds here, but the animals have died and up till now they are dying, dying. My horses died, most of my cattle have died. Some smaller animals are left, and I think they will also die. The weather and nature do not seem to help them." 0.59 6. MV: HERD OF DEAD SHEEP ON THE GROUND 1.02 7. SV: DEAD SHEEP 1.05 8. SV: HALF-EATEN DEAD HORSE ON THE GROUND 1.09 BAYAN-OENDOR COUNTY, MONGOLIA (RECENT - MARCH 26, 2000) 9. SV: (SOUNDBITE) (English) PAUL KLINE, VETERINARIAN AT UNOCHA (OFFICE FOR COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS), SAYING: "To put it into perspective we have to consider what the livestock mean to the people that live around here. When you look around and when you drive through the countryside, we've seen a number of livestock dead alongside the road and families and homes, and with the families that we have worked with in this project, the average has been around 50 percent loss in around 300 families we're dealing with. Many families have lost everything. It would be equivalent to not only losing your job, but your savings, your children's college fund, your transportation, your car - so in those terms the impact is quite great." 1.45 OELZIT COUNTY, OEVORKHANGAI PROVINCE, MONGOLIA (RECENT - MARCH 24, 2000) (REUTERS) 10. CU: GOAT WITH NEWLY-BORN KID 1.49 11. SV: GOAT STANDING OVER KID 1.52 12. SCU/CU: HERDER MOTHER SHOWS CHILD HOW TO HOLD KID (2 SHOTS) 2.00 13. SLV: DOG STANDING NEXT TO CAMEL 2.06 14. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) ROGER LOUGH, AGRICULTURAL ECONOMIST AT FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL ORGANISATION (FAO), SAYING: "At the present they have started their lambing and kidding, and this will go on through April. If they had another severe snowstorm over this period, then there would be significant losses, not only in adult sheep and goats and cattle, but also the newborn." 2.30 15. SLV: COW SEARCHING FOR GRASS ON BARREN GROUND 2.33 BAYAN-OENDOR COUNTY, MONGOLIA (RECENT - MARCH 26, 2000) 16. MV: ANIMAL SKELETONS LYING ON BARREN LAND 2.38 17. MV: DOGS RIPPING FLESH OFF DEAD ANIMAL 2.51 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 8th April 2000 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: OELZIT COUNTY, OEVORKHANGAI PROVINCE / BAYAN-OENDOR COUNTY, MONGOLIA
- Country: Mongolia
- Reuters ID: LVA7OQODP2O7MJ2ZJO94FQLYCJQD
- Story Text: Mongolian herders are facing difficult times ahead
with warnings of possible famine following the country's most
severe winter in thirty years.
The impact of the harsh weather is also spreading from
the countryside to cities, where high food prices are likely
to squeeze already tight urban incomes.
In a recent report by the United Nations, officials
warned thousands of nomadic herders in Mongolia are facing
possible starvation.
The landlocked Asian country suffered its worst drought
in 60 years last summer, followed by a harsh winter that has
buried pastures in snow, depriving animals of their only
source of food.
To date, herders have lost more than 1.8 million heads
of livestock and the UN has warned a severe food shortfall was
inevitable from May onwards.
The problem looks set to hit cities, with higher prices
for meat products.
In central Mongolia's Oeverkhanghai (pronounced
Over-kang-hai) Province, 84.3 percent of the population could
be left without a livelihood.
Otgonbold, a herder, is one of them.
"I moved out from Erdenedalai in October and brought my
herds here, but the animals have died and up till now they are
dying, dying.My horses died, most of my cattle have died.
Some smaller animals are left, and I think they will also die.
The weather and nature do not seem to help them."
The animals are the herders' only source of food,
transport, heating materials and livelihood.
The UN report says a growing number of people who depend
heavily on milk and meat products for their food are already
suffering from malnutrition.
Paul Kline, a veterinarian at the UN in Mongolia,
explains the problem further.
"To put it into perspective we have to consider what the
livestock mean to the people that live around here.When you
look around and when you drive through the countryside, we've
seen a number of livestock dead alongside the road and
families and homes, and with the families that we have worked
with in this project, the average has been around 50 percent
loss in around 300 families were dealing with.Many families
have lost everything.It would be equivalent to not only
losing your job, but your savings, your children's college
fund, your transportation, your car; so in those terms the
impact is quite great."
The UN has recommended immediate shipment of animal
fodder, food supplements and veterinary medicines.
Without the imports, the UN warns that animal
starvation could continue until late June when rains are
expected to water a new fodder crop.
The UN says the worse is yet to come as more deaths are
expected in the next few weeks.Although spring is normally
the period when animals give birth, most of the malnourished
newly-born are not expected to live long.
"At the present they have started their lambing and
kidding, and this will go on through April.If they had
another severe snowstorm over this period, then there would be
significant losses, not only in adult sheep and goats and
cattle, but also the newborn," said Roger Lough, agricultural
economist at the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).
The harsh winter has not spared human beings.
Herders who try to save their animals are exposed to
extreme cold, making them vulnerable to acute respiratory
infections.
The UN says infant mortality rates are also on the rise.
Nomadic herders live on the vast hills with their
animals.
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