Hundreds of thousands of
animals including cows, buffalo, goats, pigs, chickens, dogs and cats are
fighting for their lives in Nepal, and the north-eastern state of Assam in
India, after devastating floods struck this month
Our teams are acting fast
to help animals and their owners by leading mobile vet response teams and
distributing emergency kits to at least 15,000 farm animals and pets in
India, and 52,000 in Nepal.
Our emergency vet care is
vital to help reduce suffering for surviving animals, many of whom are starving
or injured. Ensuring animals’ health will also ensure better recovery for
thousands of flood-stricken people, who need healthy animals to keep their
families out of extreme poverty.
As well as providing
income and resource, animals can also offer companionship to their owners,
especially at this awful, unsettled time.
Widespread, ongoing
distress
Many of the animals the
we’re treating are deeply traumatised and in shock, and a large number have
broken limbs and are in extreme pain.
Our disaster project
manager Hansen Thambi Prem said: "Animals are in dire need; injured, starving and at
high risk of disease – the floods have damaged pastures for months to come,
compounding the emergency with starvation.
"Governments and
NGOs must recognise that when a disaster hits, people and animals' very
survival, and eventual recovery, is intertwined. That is why we are on the
ground to protect animals."
Our disaster response
teams in India and Nepal are:
- providing immediate assistance to
animals on the ground injured from the floods and meeting basic needs for
survival,
- giving out emergency vet kit items
which include dressings and treatment for wounded animals, treatment for
diarrhoea, pneumonia and other potential post flood diseases in Nepal, as
well as mineral and health supplements, antibiotics, and more in India,
- and assessing the wider and longer
term needs for the animals in partnership with governments.
Protecting people and
animals in the long-term
While disaster response
rightly prioritises people’s immediate needs, the long-term recovery from
disasters is inextricably linked with the well-being of their animals.
Communities and people
affected by the floods in both Assam, India and Nepal heavily rely on
agriculture to make ends meet and in this critical stage. By rescuing and
treating animals affected by floods, we’re providing stability for the future
of people and communities.
Keep an eye out for
further updates our disaster response in India and Nepal as we continue our
work there.
FROM THE DESK OF ANIMAL RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF
NIGERIA
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