Beijing/Ulaanbaatar, 2 February 2010 – Temperatures plunging to -50°C have killed 1.7 million head of livestock in Mongolia, threatening the livelihoods of 21 000 herder families and putting them at risk of food insecurity, FAO warned today.

An FAO rapid needs assessment on the impact of the disaster has found that urgent external assistance of some $6 million is needed over the next two to three months to help the herders make it through to spring.