Ulaanbaatar, December 20, 2023 /MONTSAME/. Mongolia is experiencing an extremely harsh winter starting in early winter. 81 percent of Mongolia's territory is covered with snow, and winter and spring of 2023-2024 are forecasted to be challenging due to increasing cold, heavy snowfall, and snowstorms. Mongolia has not experienced such a severe zud in the past 20 years, notes Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the State Emergency Commission (SEC) S. Amarsaikhan.

The current situation and results of the measures taken on the outwintering of cattle were discussed at the session of the Standing Committee on Environment, Food, and Agriculture of the State Great Khural on December 19, 2023.

Directed by the State Great Khural and Government of Mongolia, Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the State Emergency Commission S. Amarsaikhan visited 11 soums of Arkhangai and Zavkhan aimags to oversee winter conditions and the measures.

At the Meeting, the Head of the SEC briefed that According to the Mongolian National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring, 70 percent of the total territory is at high risk of zud, including Uvs, Sukhbaatar, Khentii, Dornogobi, and 26 percent at moderate risk. Deputy Prime Minister S. Amarsaikhan stressed that the issue of zud is not only a problem of herders but also a concern of the agricultural sector, the main sector of the economy and food supply.

According to Deputy Prime Minister S. Amarsaikhan, actions and measures are being taken in the following directions to implement the tasks given at the SEC meeting on November 28.

- solving financial sources to increase local fuel supplies,

- putting meat prepared by herders into market circulation  

- increasing supply of animal fodder

- ensuing readiness of health and other public services during emergencies

- preventing from animal acute infectious diseases

- ensuring regular access to quality veterinary services

In addition, the Head of the SEC S. Amarsaikhan proposed to make amendments to the existing Austerity Law, according to which, it is prohibited to manage local budgets to solve local problems. He pointed out that the Austerity Law, adopted to mitigate the consequences of the pandemic had an effect, but in the current condition, it exacerbates the risks.

The SEC is taking appropriate measures to manage the supply of necessary fuel to rural and remote areas. By now, 60 tons of fuel requested by the Emergency Commission in Tuv, Arkhangai, and Zavkhan aimags have been supplied.

The head of the SEC pointed out the necessity of reducing or exempting tax on animal fodder, flour, and fuel imported through the Arts-Suuri border port in Zavkhan aimag and through the ports in the western  aimags of Mongolia as a shortage of these goods and others due to transport from Ulaanbaatar city and high transport cost are causing many problems.

Therefore, SEC requested the Mongolian Customs General Administration be tasked to resolve border and customs issues and relevant Ministries to take necessary actions to change the situation immediately.