The culmination of these and other activities has been the declaration of the year 2000 as the Year of Support to Child Development. The long Mongolian winter is finally giving way to spring, but the zud has serious implications for many areas of the Mongolian countryside. Our hearts go out to the families that have suffered from this tragedy. The snow disaster has reminded us of the fragility of life. The snowfall began in October and gradually built up, making it impossible for animals to find edible vegetation.
Animals generally survive the winter by digging for food through the snow.
The combination of a dry summer and prolonged heavy snowfall have weakened many animals, now unable to reach grazing pastures because of the thick snow cover and the ice crust, and as many as 20,000 animals are dying each day. By February 20, the disaster had spread to over 148 soums in 12 aimags. The worst hit areas are Bayankhongor, Dundgobi, Zavkhan. Ovorkhangai and Uvs. At least 1.7 million head of cattle, sheep, horses and goats have died.