VetAid Kenya: Drought Response Appeal
Latest Update on Situation in the Field
14th October 2011
Dr Gabriel Turasha, Director of Vetaid (Kenya), has just returned from two weeks vaccinating livestock in the Tana River Delta. He reports that in some ways the situation has started to improve. Sporadic rainfall in the area means that there is more grazing available and livestock are no longer dying from starvation. However, he points out that the situation further North is still grave and those animals that have not been able to migrate South are still is a desperate state.
Dr Turasha, who has experience of less severe droughts in the past, stressed how important it is now to vaccinate against key diseases, deworm and control trypanosomiasis in the surviving livestock. In the past the ultimate tragedy has been when animals survive the worst of the drought and then subsequently die as a result of preventable diseases.
This year Vetaid (Kenya) and its VSF partners have been fortunate to receive vaccines from the FAO to work with pastoralists in the worst affected areas. Dr Turasha and a team of vets and support staff have been working in the field to administer these vaccines. Progress has been good over the last two weeks BUT ….. the frustration is that a little more funding would enable Vetaid (Kenya) to rent additional 4 WD vehicles and basic facilities (cold chain generators/fridges etc) to reach many more pastoralists.
It is for this reason that we would like to ask for your support in a donation towards this work – whilst we can't turn back the damage done by the drought, you can make a real difference for the future.
East Africa Emergency
Drought in the Horn of Africa has forced over one million cattle and small stock south into the Tana River Basin of Kenya. This is the worst drought experienced in the last 60 years and follows years of crisis as a result of consecutive droughts. The current drought has been declared a national disaster by Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki, with over 12 million people in Kenya and surrounding countries affected.
Pastoralists are dependent on their livestock; which provide 95% of the income for these communities. In the Tana River Basin, animals are crowded together on scarce grazing within a tsetse zone, weakened animals are at major risk from many infectious diseases (especially peste des petits ruminants, contagious caprine and bovine pleuropneumonia in addition to trypanosomiasis and tick borne diseases).
VetAid Kenya is the only veterinary agency working in this area, implementing an emergency vaccination and trypanosomiasis control programme. They are also coordinating controlled slaughter destocking in collaboration with the FAO; ensuring food security for the pastoralists and their families.
VetAid Kenya's work is vital but its resources are very limited. They urgently need additional funding to get more teams into the field to protect livestock and ensure that sufficient breeding stock survive to regenerate herds. As an indication as to how your funding could be used:
- £20 will buy 300 small stock vaccine doses;
- £150 will hire a 4WD vehicle for a week and buy sufficient diesel to get a vaccination team into the field;
- Our target of £10,000 will support three veterinary teams; cold-chain; transport and vaccinations for four weeks
The RVC is supporting this appeal at no cost and so 100% of funds donated through Just Giving will go directly to Kenya.
Our Kenyan colleagues need our help NOW in this emergency situation.
Find Out More
Use the button to donate online now! Alternatively you may donate by phone on 01707 667025
For further information please contact Nick Short (nshort@rvc.ac.uk).
Enquiries from the media should be directed to the RVC Press Office.