Ulaanbaatar, April 11 2016 - In response to the recent Dzud disaster that has directly affected the lives of as many as 63,000 nomadic households in Mongolia, the United Nations mobilized $2.4 million from its Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) under the rapid response window.

As part of this assistance, food, nutrition packages and hygiene kits were handed over today to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for immediate distribution to women and children in affected communities.

Since last December an estimated 41 percent of the total herder population have been affected by harsh winter weather conditions involving extreme cold and compact layers of snow, which are locally known as Dzud. Out of this, an estimated 11,800 herder households with less than 100 animals in the most affected districts are considered particularly vulnerable.

Over 1,800 children under five years old and more than 900 pregnant and lactating women in 45 ‘soums’ in six provinces - Uvs, Bayankhongor, Arkhangai, Zavkhan, Dundgobi and Sukhbaatar – are targeted to receive the UN packages.

UNICEF in collaboration with Ministry of Health and Sport and World Vision International-Mongolia provides life-saving food and nutrition interventions to ensure food security of the affected households and prevent them, particularly vulnerable children, and pregnant and lactating women from micronutrient deficiencies.

The nutrition component covers supply and distribution of multiple micronutrient supplements for children aged 6-59 months old and pregnant and lactating women in target soums and provinces affected by dzud. It will also provide nutrition screening for identification of cases of acute malnutrition and adequate nutrition counselling to the dzud affected population, particularly for parents of children under two years old and pregnant and lactating women.

UNFPA provides 7,962 Dignity Kits, i.e. 2 kits per household, to the women and girls in the affected areas which include sanitary supplies, underwear, clothes, socks, towels and soaps and protection items including whistles and torches with batteries. The kits are to preserve an appropriate level of sanitation of women and girls as well as their health, safety and dignity, and they are to prioritize and meet their special needs in humanitarian settings. UNFPA also extends support to soum health centers so that an estimated 500 pregnant and post-partum women receive ante-natal care and other reproductive health services in the affected areas.

“In any emergency, women and children are the most vulnerable. Children are especially vulnerable to disease and malnutrition. Extreme cold poses increased risk of Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI), pneumonia and other infectious disease (measles and chickenpox) among children, as their immune systems are lower due to undernutrition.” says Roberto Benes, UNICEF Mongolia Representative. “That is why micronutrient supplements are so important in reducing maternal and child morbidity and mortality in dzud affected areas”.

"Women and girls are the backbone of Mongolian society and we must take concrete steps to ensure their safety and dignity is protected in Dzud situations" says Naomi Kitahara, UNFPA Representative. "Working with the Government of Mongolia to target support to women through the provision of dignity kits will help promote the health and well-being of herding communities across the country."

“The assistance provided by the UN aims at addressing the most urgent survival and livelihood needs of 4,390 vulnerable herder households affected by the dzud and complements the Government response, which focuses on infrastructure and service provision” says Beate Trankmann, UN Resident Coordinator.

For further information, please contact:

Ariunzaya Davaa, Communication Specialist, UNICEF Mongolia, adavaa@unicef.org, Phone: 99112652

Angelica Esguerra, Partnerships Officer, UNFPA Mongolia, esguerra@unfpa.org, Phone: 353501