Landlocked in the middle of Asia, between Russia and China, Mongolia is prone to Siberian weather – including sub-zero freezes, excessive snowfall, and howling winds – also called a dzud.

The herdsmen and their families usually can find shelter inside their snug tent-like gers, but their herds are exposed to the worst. If there is no grass for grazing and no unfrozen water for drinking, their animals won’t survive the dzud.

About one-third of Mongolia’s population are nomadic herdsmen and their families, and though they are used to dealing with winter, the dzuds in recent years have gotten more extreme.

Samaritan’s Purse has been working in Mongolia for more than a decade and helped over 400 families, so far, by providing them with yaks and sheep – and training them in winter resilience. These animals provide families with food and income.

Here are some of the testimonies heard by our teams in Mongolia. One herder named Bolat said he had lost 130 animals in the last dzud, and Samaritan’s Purse was able to provide him with new animals.

Bolat with one of his livestock provided by Samaritan’s Purse

“We lost our only income and were left with no animals,” he said. “We are so blessed to be receiving these new animals during our hard season of life. Everything is already getting better. Your project has given us strength to move forward and hope for a new season.”

Another herder, Bata Byamba, described the miraculous transformation in his family after receiving help from Samaritan’s Purse:

“Until the winter disaster in 2016, we were herding and raising 155 animals to feed and sustain my family. Then, the harsh winter came and we lost all of our livestock.

We had no other household income. Raising animals was all we knew, so it was a very hard time for us to live and work without them. To provide for my family, I did all sorts of seasonal part-time jobs but as my four children grew, the needs of my family grew too. We moved to other villages hoping to find a better life, but we were never paid enough and were sometimes even humiliated.

Then, in 2020, we heard about Samaritan’s Purse. They visited our home and gave us our own sheep with lambs to raise. We are very happy now and thankful for the team who came and showed interest in our life story. Thank you very much for your help, Samaritan’s Purse. We will work hard and look after our animals.”

We are thankful for the opportunities God has given our teams to help bring hope to these families, restore their livelihoods, and meet their physical needs in the Name of Jesus Christ.

Ask the Lord to strengthen and comfort the families in Mongolia as they continue to recover. Please pray for our teams on the ground to be used as beacons of hope in Jesus’ Name.