AKIPRESS.COM - At least 41 districts of 11 provinces of Mongolia are currently experiencing dzud, while 48 districts of 11 provinces are suffering from near-dzud conditions, the National Emergency Management Agency said.

Around 90% of the Mongolian territory has been covered with snow of up to 38 cm thick, according to the Institute of Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring of Mongolia.

The number of wintering livestock will reach 69.1 million in the country in 2023, the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry noted. 7.8 million heads of livestock owned by 18,800 households will spend the winter on distant pastures.

The National Emergency Management Agency warned citizens, especially herders, to take extra precautions in pastures during grazing.

Dzud is a Mongolian term to describe a severely cold winter when a large number of livestock die because the ground is frozen or covered with snow.