International Organization for Migration (IOM), in cooperation with UN partners including UNICEF, is to launch an Emergency Displacement Assessment to investigate the situation of thousands of rural Mongolian families forced to migrate from their homes to the capital Ulaanbaatar by one of the coldest winters on record.

The extreme winter conditions, known locally as a "Dzud," resulted in the death of a quarter of the country's livestock. Over 11 million animals were unable to find fodder through the snow cover and either froze or starved to death.

The assessment will form the basis for any new initiatives for mid to long term assistance to meet the needs of the most vulnerable rural migrants - mainly women, the elderly and children.