Kleinschalige veehouders in Syrie krijgen noodhulp van FAO
Datum: 13 februari 2015
Livestock in Syria
FAO, met de steun van de Syrische Dierenartsen Associatie, helpt meer dan 80 000 kleine veehouders hun veestapel te beschermen en dierenproductieverlies te beperken.
1 februari 2015, Damascus - Bijna 4 000 000 schapen, geiten en vee zullen in Syrie behandeld worden tegen parasieten door de FAO, met de hulp van de Syrische Dierenartsen Associatie. Deze grootschalige campagne wordt gevoerd met de financiele steun van de Belgische Ontwikkelingssamenwerking en
zal meer dan 76 000 veehouders ten goede komen in hoge risicozones in Syrie. Sinds de start van de campagne in december 2014, werden bijna 2,4 miljoen dieren behandeld.
[Het volledige persbericht is enkel beschikbaar in het Engels]
"Treatment of livestock for parasite is more than a public health issue - it contributes to maintain animals and people healthy. It therefore helps to keep families and communities fed and to build their resilience" said FAO Representative in Syria, Ms. Eriko Hibi.
With the intensification of the crisis in Syria, the regular delivery of animal health services has been significantly disrupted. This is of particular concern as livelihood loss, deepening poverty, inflation and steep depreciation of the Syrian pound have further eroded the capacity of
farmers to spare resources for veterinary treatments. In this context, small-scale herders have been particularly vulnerable and their livestock has been left exposed to a series of serious health threats including transboundary animal diseases (TADs) and parasites. For the small-scale herders
supported, livestock is the only productive asset they own. "It is their only source of income - their lifeline," said Ms. Hibi. "Therefore, they cannot afford to lose livestock to preventable diseases." There is thus the urgent need to put in place a sound defense against the threats to
animal health and production through enhanced veterinary services and strengthened capacities of local herders and animal raisers.
As a first step, FAO has launched in December 2014 a large treatment campaign for parasites. Parasites represent a major concern for livestock keepers as they can cause a severe reduction in productivity and may lead to death of malnourished animals. The anti-parasite treatment will improve
the capacity of vulnerable livestock keeping communities in targeted areas to protect their animals from deaths and production losses. This will ultimately result in their enhanced food security and livelihoods. Furthermore, it will also contribute to the increased availability of milk, dairy
products and meat at the community level. This is extremely important as recent assessments reveal that crisis-affected people in Syria have an increasingly limited access to fresh nutrient food, which has a direct negative impact on their dietary diversity, food and nutrition security.
During the first half of 2015, treatment efforts will continue thanks to funding received from the United States of America. Nevertheless, further resources are urgently required. In 2015 FAO is seeking USD 10 million to provide emergency support to small-scale herders affected by the Syria
crisis to protect their livestock assets.
Bron: FAO