Mongolian Livestock Disaster

After one of the most harsh winters in Mongolian history, called a "zud," which is an abnormally long winter full of heavy snows and freezing cold temperatures, the land is now experiencing a summer drought that has left them with no grass. With snow this winter that was waist high and temperatures nearly 40 below zero, many livestock had already succumbed to the environment and were lost. With this new drought the rest of the living livestock have begun to pass as well, leaving the country, with it's nearly 800,000 herders lost. Almost 8 million livestock, which include cows, sheep, horses, camels, yaks, and goats, have been lost, and with the drought looking to keep up, it's estimated that more than 500,000 animals will be lost in the next couple weeks. This livestock catastrophe is expected to affect the countries economy more than anything, since owning livestock is one of the most popular jobs in the country. In one district of Mongolia the governor has said that nearly 70 percent of the livestock from that district have been lost, leaving 2,800 without a herd at all. During this time of crisis the government has enlisted a program, financed by the United Nations ($1.5 million), to help herders earn some money by clearing out the millions of dead animals in the country, but this will only last for a few months, after that there will be barely any income for these herders.

By: Katherine Conrad