Skip to main content

Mongolia: Flash Floods - Information bulletin (17 July 2020)

Countries
Mongolia
Sources
IFRC
Publication date
Origin
View original

This bulletin is being issued for information and reflects the current situation and details available at this time.
The Mongolian Red Cross Society (MRCS), with the support of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), will seek funding through DREF activation to provide support to the affected population.

The situation

Flash floods have been occurring across the country at different scales due to prolonged heavy rain fall since middle of June and continuing till date. The rainfall is averaged from 50 to 60 millimeters across the country and the highest precipitation of 85 millimeters recorded in Bulgan province on 8 July 2020. Since 17 June, heavy rain and the resulting flash floods have damaged over 3,000 households and public infrastructure such as roads, bridges, electricity sub-stations. Below are some specific details of the damage:

  • Several major roads connecting the following cities and towns were severely damaged: i) Khuvsgul to Bulgan province; ii) Tuv province to Ulaanbaatar city; iii) Arkhangai to Zavkhan province and iv) Murun city to Khatgal soum in Khuvsgul province. As of 16 July, these roads are being repaired and beginning to be accessible for transportation.

  • Transportation and vehicular movement have been limited along the following routes due to bad roads and damage to bridge from Ulaangom soum to Bukhmurun, Davst, Sagil, Turgen soum roads and Burat Bridge in Bayan-Ulgii province.

  • In Uvs province, 556 people are stranded due to flash floods and have been sheltered in school dorms, hotels in Sagil soum. Accessibility to food to those who are stranded has been reported as vehicular movement was affected by the damaged roads. The provincial emergency commission is exploring various options to evacuate the stranded people to their respective homes. Pregnant women, people with chronic disease are being prioritized for immediate rescue and the authorities are also exploring possibility of evacuating them via helicopter.

The incessant rainfall has been affecting normal life in both urban and rural areas across length and breadth of the country. Some low-lying areas in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, had severe water logging resulting in damage to public infrastructure and hardship to the people. Although water and sewerage authority has responded immediately to pump out the rainwater, the overstretched and old sewerage systems have led to water logging and the hardships, exposing the need for better preparedness measures for future.

The biggest celebrations in Mongolia - “Naadam” festival have been affected by the rainfall and flooding across the country with a reported 2,200 vehicles carrying passengers struck or stranded at many places, who were visiting their villages for festive celebrations. In Ulaanbaatar to Uvs province road, local traffic police and emergency management agency have taken timely actions to assist those people.

Capital emergency commission met on 2 July 2020 to discuss actions taken to recover the rain-damaged areas and structures in Ulaanbaatar. City governor has formally announced that recovery activities will be intensified. Search and rescue activities are being carried out by the local emergency management agencies in different locations and repair works are being carried out to the roads and other infrastructures. Uvs provincial emergency commission is active and working to rescue evacuated people in Uvs province. Emergency warning is being announced by both Mongolian National Agency for Meteorology, Environment Monitoring and National Emergency Management Agency.