March 1, 2010

As part of the government's ongoing efforts to provide relief to people living in rural areas affected by dzud, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has agreed to supply an aid convoy for children from herding families.

The assistance, valued at approximately 136,000 US dollars, primarily targets 3,900 children living in poorly heated school dormitories across 22 soums in the provinces of Khovsgol, Uvs, Zavkhan, Gobi-Altai, Hovd, and Bayan-Ölgii, which are the regions most severely affected by dzud. The first shipment, which includes warm blankets, boots, games, hand sanitizers, soap, and other essentials for adolescent girls, arrived at the Hovd province center last Saturday (February 27, 2010).

"We are providing essential supplies as well as educational materials for children staying in dormitories, as they do not always have access to heating facilities, food, and medical care. Protecting children against disease and chronic malnutrition is key to our interventions planned for the coming months, and our primary focus is raising awareness in these communities," said Fleur Rana, UNICEF Representative for Mongolia.

AeroMongolia, a private domestic airline, has agreed to transport the packages to Khovd province at reduced cost, UNICEF stated, because due to heavy snowfall, areas affected by dzud have become inaccessible by road.

The shipment also includes a contribution from children at Ulaanbaatar International School, where fourth-grade students mobilized to make a donation and show their solidarity with children living in affected rural areas. An additional shipment is planned for the coming weeks, UNICEF said, and is being coordinated with the government and non-governmental partners, including the National Emergency Management Agency.

"As challenging weather conditions are expected to continue through spring, UNICEF will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to children and women in the provinces most affected by dzud. UNICEF is particularly concerned about food security and the risk of increased acute respiratory infections. To address this, UNICEF plans to send enriched flour and micronutrients for families and children, as well as medical supplies and equipment to help provincial and soum hospitals provide essential services to pregnant women, newborns, and children under five," UNICEF stated.

Charlène Nomadays

As Nomadays' earliest SEO writer and now content manager and communications lead, Charlène has accompanied the adventure from its inception with passion and dedication. After spending seven years in Asia—from China to Thailand, through Mongolia and South Korea—she has made travel a way of experiencing the world. A lover of words, nature, and human connection, she strives to convey in her writing a thoughtful, committed, and responsible vision of travel. For her, each article is a bridge between curiosity, respect, and wonder.