12 million animals treated so far against livestock diseases and illness

Figure: Famine-prevention: The livestock protection campaign is vital for vulnerable pastoralists who rely on their animals to survive.

FAO 2 June 2017, Rome/Mogadishu - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is pushing forward with a massive campaign that has so far treated more than 12 million animals in less than three months, protecting the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of families who rely on their livestock's meat and milk for survival.

By mid-July, FAO will have reached 22 million animals, benefiting over 3 million people.

"Saving animals saves human lives and livelihoods. When animals are weakened by drought, they stop producing milk or die which means people go hungry and families are pushed out of self-reliance," said Richard Trenchard, FAO Representative in Somalia. 

Around 3.2 million people in Somalia are on a hunger knife-edge. The majority live in rural areas and livestock such as goats, camels, sheep and cattle are their main source of food and income.

"What we have heard again and again from displaced people in camps is that when they lost their animals, everything collapsed. It is a steep, long climb for them to get back on their feet again. We have stepped up our response to reach families before that happens," Trenchard said, adding: "Livelihoods are their best defence against famine".

FAO is deploying 150 veterinary teams across Somalia to treat goats and sheep as well as cattle and camels - up to 270,000 animals each day. The teams are made up of local Somali veterinary professionals.

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See more: http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/891580/icode/