Country: Mongolia Source: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Please refer to the attached file. Description of the Event Date of event 24-02-2026 What happened, where and when? The snowstorm event started on 21 February 2026 across multiple provinces in Mongolia, particularly affecting eastern, northern, southern, and western regions, including Bayanhongor, Darkhan-Uul, Orkhon, Dornod, Dornogovi, Dundgovi, Govi-Altai, Khentii, Khuvsgul, Selenge, Sukhbaatar, Umnugovi, Tuv, Khovd, Uvs, and Zavkhan provinces. The storm brought sustained winds of up to 31 m/s, heavy snowfall, drifting snow, and extreme cold reaching -48°C. These conditions resulted in blocked roads and mountain passes, widespread mobility disruption, and life-threatening exposure risks. While immediate impacts were recorded during the storm period, 24 February marked a critical escalation in humanitarian consequences. Livelihood impacts were particularly severe for herder households. By 24 February, authorities had reported that 89, 934 livestock had strayed during the storm, while 52, 199 were reported missing. Of these, 24, 017 had been recovered at that stage, while 28, 182 remained unaccounted for. Preliminary reports initially recorded more than 4, 900 livestock deaths directly associated with the snowstorm. Subsequent national data indicated that approximately 28, 000 livestock died across Mongolia during February as a result of adverse weather conditions, including blizzards, extreme cold, snow, and pasture icing. The scale of livestock mortality and displacement placed significant economic pressure on pastoral households, particularly those that had already entered the winter season with reduced coping capacity. During the height of the emergency, authorities introduced road and transportation restrictions in affected provinces as hazardous weather and snow accumulation made travel unsafe. The closures further constrained access to markets, health services and emergency assistance and complicated search-and-rescue and livestock recovery operations. The combination of human casualties and injuries, stranded and missing people, transportation disruptions, livestock losses and the isolation of vulnerable herder households constituted the operational trigger for Red Cross action and informed the subsequent humanitarian response. Five fatalities due to exposure and hypothermia were confirmed in connection with the snowstorm, including herders who became lost during severe weather conditions. More than 100 people, including adults and children, were rescued after becoming stranded, lost, or trapped in snow, and numerous emergency calls were received in relation to snow entrapment, missing persons, and vehicle breakdowns. A total of 56 people were reported injured in relation to the event. Emergency response operations also addressed a serious ice-related accident on Buir Lake in Dornod Province on 24 February 2026, when a vehicle carrying six people broke through the lake ice. Two occupants survived, while four people lost their lives. Search-and-recovery teams subsequently located the vehicle using underwater surveillance, recovered it from approximately six metres below the surface, retrieved the bodies of all four victims, and transferred them to the relevant authorities, bringing the search-and-recovery operation to a close. By the end of the DREF operation on 30 June 2026, the situation had shifted from an acute snowstorm emergency toward recovery and seasonal preparedness. Immediate risks related to extreme cold, snow blockage, and isolation had reduced compared with the initial emergency period. However, the effects of livestock losses and the depletion of household resources continued to affect the recovery capacity of some herder households, particularly those with limited livestock holdings and few alternative sources of income. The operational focus therefore increasingly moved toward supporting livelihood recovery, strengthening household and community preparedness, and reducing vulnerability ahead of the next winter season. The DREF operation concluded on 30 June 2026 after four months of implementation.
Mongolia: Snow Storm – DREF Final Report (MDRMN021)
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