Mention the word 'dzud' round here, and every Mongolian will know what you are talking about. It denotes a compound natural disaster with catastrophic human consequences. The most recent one began in the summer of 2009, with a severe drought affecting much of the country. Millions of herded animals faced a harsh winter without the fat levels needed to survive it.
A year on, and an estimated 16 million animals perished in the coldest winter here for more than 30 years, with temperatures falling below -40C in many places. Many herders, whose existence was already marginal, were forced into even deeper poverty - this in a country where a third of the population was already living below the state-determined poverty line of $1.25 per day.
Seedtime began in the midst of that dzud, and one our first acts was to place $500 each into the emergency funds of the Governors of Sukhbaatar District (central Ulaanbaatar) and South Gobi Province, through our board members L. Toomerhuyag (right) and Ts. Natsagdorj. That was back in February this year.
As another colder-than-usual winter approaches, we will be alert to any opportunity to help the people of Mongolia in time of need.