Red Cross in Mongolia appeal

The Red Cross is appealing for nearly US$1 million ($1.4 million) to help thousands of herders in Mongolia who have lost their livestock to one of the worst winters in decades.

The impoverished landlocked nation is grappling with a severe winter after a dry summer, a combination known locally as "dzud" that has led to extreme cold and food shortages for the livestock that many depend upon for survival.

Red Cross says 4.5 million livestock have died since December, nearly 10 per cent of the nation's animal population.

The United Nations reckons the herders need US$15 million in aid.