- Title: MONGOLIA: EARLY WINTER BLIZZARDS LEAVE MOST OF COUNTRY BLANKETED UNDER SNOW
- Date: 18th December 2000
- Summary: HENTII AND GOBI-SUMBER PROVINCE, MONGOLIA (DECEMBER 11, 2000) (REUTERS) 1. SLV SHEEP WALKING ALONG SNOW-COVERED HILLSIDE WITH MINIMAL VEGETATION; SU CALF NIBBLING ON TINY GROUND COVER (2 SHOTS) 0.11 2. MV PONY STANDING; SCU ICICLES ON HORSE'S HEAD (2 SHOTS) 0.26 3. SLV SHEEP HUDDLING IN SEARCH OF SHELTER FROM COLD 0.32 4. SCU DEAD GOATS AND LIVESTOCK LYING ON GROUND; DEAD SHEEP AND STACK OF SLAUGHTERED LIVESTOCK WRAPPED IN FURS (2 SHOTS) 0.45 5. MV ALTANTSETSEG, 36-YEAR-OLD HERDER, PUTTING HER DEAD CALF AGAINST THE FENCE; SCU DEAD CALF 0.58 6. (SOUNDBITE) (Mongolian) ALTANTSETSEG, HERDER, SAYING: "My calf starved to death because it had hardly anything to eat and lost so much weight. Because of the drought, there is absolutely no hay or fodder this year. We only have chaff from frozen wheat this winter." 1.16 7. MV MINISTER OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, NASANJARGAL, STANDING IN FRONT OF JEEP 1.23 8. SLV FLOCK OF SHEEP; SCU SHEEP WITH FROZEN NOSTRILS; SLV FLOCK OF SHEEP IN FRONT OF GER TENT (3 SHOTS) 1.39 9. (SOUNDBITE) (Mongolian) NASANJARGAL, MINISTER OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, SAYING "This year, Mongolia is facing a winter disaster again. Right now, more than eighty counties are in emergency conditions. There are large numbers of herds moving from one province to another. Warmer pastures are rapidly getting depleted and even the less affected regions can no longer support the swelling population of wandering herds." 2.11 10. SLV SHEEP HUDDLED AGAINST EACH OTHER IN THE MIDDLE OF A FROZEN FIELD; FROZEN FIELD AND BARE MOUNTAIN 2.23 11. (SOUNDBITE) (Mongolian) NASANJARGAL SAYING "Under these extreme difficulties, we are appealing to our foreign partners, donor countries, international finance institutions and charitable organisations to take note of our situation and assist Mongolia." 2.42 12. SLV HERDER WITH TWO HORSES AND FLOCK OF SHEEP; ROW OF GER TENTS AND LIVESTOCK IN MIDDLE OF FROZEN FIELD (2 SHOTS) 2.54 ULAN BATOR, MONGOLIA (DECEMBER 13, 2000) (REUTERS) 13. SLV TRUCKLOAD OF JAPANESE AID HAY; SLV TRUCKS DRIVING OFF (4 SHOTS) 3.20 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 2nd January 2001 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ULAN BATOR, HENTII AND GOBI-SUMBER PROVINCE, MONGOLIA
- Country: Mongolia
- Reuters ID: LVACI8DHGPRJMORWIFHT2VI0Y6JN
- Story Text: Mongolia could be headed for another disaster as early
winter blizzards have left more than 90 percent of the country
blanketed under snow, threatening herds already weakened by a
severe summer drought.
Early snow storms in Mongolia have killed almost
16,000 head of livestock and thousands of families are
migrating to save herds from another devastating winter.
More than 3 million head of livestock starved and froze
to death last winter, the coldest in 30 years, following a
harsh summer drought which parched crops and pasture.
This year, snow has already blanketed more than 90
percent of the country, starving herds weakened by another
severe summer drought which drastically cut the hay crop
normally used for winter feed.
One-third of Mongolia's 2.4 million people depend on
livestock for food, transport, heating materials and
cash-barter purchasing power.
Because of the devastation of livestock, thousands of
households in the province of Gobi-Sumber migrated in search
of warmer pastures, but now even these areas have been
blanketed by snow and ice and the already meagre pastureland
have been stripped bare.
In many parts of the country, herders have began to
slaughter some of their weakest herds for meat to be sold in
cities during the winter and spring.
The slaughtered livestock's are wrapped in animal skin
and frozen in the minus 30 degree Celsius temperature.
Due to the prolonged drought which hit 60 percent of the
country this past summer, many of the nomads were unable to
collect hay for the winter.
"My calf starved to death because it had hardly anything
to eat and lost so much weight. Because of the drought, there
is absolutely no hay or fodder this year. We only have chaff
from frozen wheat this winter," said Altantsetseg, a
36-year-old herder who has lost her first calf for this
winter.
Government officials have made fact-finding trips to the
distant western provinces where transportation and
communication links to the capital have been cut off due to
heavy snowfall.
"This year, Mongolia is facing a winter disaster again.
Right now, more than 80 counties are in emergency conditions.
There are large numbers of herds moving from one province to
another. Warmer pastures are rapidly getting depleted and even
the less affected regions can no longer support the swelling
population of wandering herds," said Nasanjargal, Minister of
Food and Agriculture.
The most urgent need was for animal feed and
veterinarian medicine.
"Under these extreme difficulties, we are appealing to
our foreign partners, donor countries, international finance
institutions and charitable organisations to take note of our
situation and assist Mongolia," said Nasanjargal.
The first emergency aid to the starving herds has come
from the Japanese government who granted 10 million U.S.
dollars to purchase emergency fodder and help displaced
herders.
The first batch of hay left the capital on December 13
for the distant western provinces.
Many roads were blocked by deep snow, slowing
distribution of fodder and food aid, and several areas had
already run out of fuel.
The International Red Cross said in November Mongolia
was facing another winter disaster and that local authorities
lacked the money and supplies to prepare for the long winter.
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