Ms. Jigjidpurev Sukhbaatar, LEGS trainer and Emergency Focal Point in Mongolia has succesfully conducted the fifth series of Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS) training during 3-5 April in Uvurkhangai province. 

In emergency situations, specific livestock-targeted interventions are required to help households survive the immediate crisis and to support communities in rebuilding their livelihoods. Livestock interventions typically cover provision of animal health services, emergency feeding and water supplies, shelter provision, destocking (marketing, slaughtering) and restocking. The need for a particular intervention depends on the nature of the emergency, the local context and the phase of the emergency (i.e. ongoing, immediate aftermath, recovery or rehabilitation).

To ensure a more rapid and appropriate response, FAO supported the development and publication of the Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS) handbook and a revised edition of LEGS was published in 2014 (http:// www.livestock-emergency.net). Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS) is a set of guidelines and standards for designing, implementing and evaluating livestock interventions to help people affected by humanitarian crises.

In 2016, FAO Mongolia had provided financial and technical support for the re-equip 2 LEGS certified trainers and the publication of LEGS handbook in Mongolian. After the first 3-day LEGS training, held in November 2016 with the participation of 27 planning staff from the National and Provincial Emergency Management Authorities (NEMA and PEMA), the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry (MoFALI), FAO and Mercy Corps jointly organized (i) full three-day LEGS trainings in the western and central regions of the country in September 2017 and April 2019, and (ii) half-day introductory LEGS training session for 60 officers of animal husbandry related departments and agencies of MOFALI in April 2017 and 150 local authorities of Sukhbaatar province at the preparatory stage of the Provincial Emergency Simulation Exercise leaded by the NEMA in September 2018.

Also, FAO Mongolia published the FAO manual “Livestock-related interventions during emergencies: How-to-do” in Mongolian. This FAO manual complements LEGS and provides specific and technical information for the most common livestock interventions.