Ethiopia: Almost 1.5 million livestock vaccinated to support livelihoods of pastoralists affected by legacy of armed conflict

In Ethiopia, pastoralism is widely practiced in the Somali and Afar Regional States, and to a lesser extent in Oromia and other regions of the country. Pastoral lowlands are characterized by extensive rangelands governed by customary laws to ensure sustainability and equitable use of the resources among different communities residing in the area.

The pastoral communities in these areas earn more than half of their income from livestock and livestock products. They are nomadic moving from place to place in search of pastures for their livestock, avoiding the risk of starvation by responding to variable climatic conditions, and ensure healthy livestock and rangelands.

The livelihoods of these communities, however, are challenged by climate change, poverty, and resource-based conflicts that are arising from changes in demographics and settlement that subsequently reduce the availability of land for grazing and opportunities for mobility. 

Most of the communities living in the Afar and Somali Regions and some woredas in Oromia Region continue facing food insecurity from recurring drought and subsequent livestock losses. Moreover, recent clashes along the Afar – Tigray Regions border are also affecting the sustainability of their livelihoods.  The assessment of last year, made by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in nine woredas of Afar Region, bordering Tigray Region revealed the negative impact of the two-year armed conflict on the livelihood of pastoral communities. The wealth of the community has deteriorated due to the conflict. Households lost their livestock due to looting, predation, drought and diseases during the years of conflict.

“As livestock are the main sources of food and income for the pastoralists in conflict-affected areas in Ethiopia, ICRC supports vaccination campaigns to protect their livelihoods and thereby improve their food production capacity of the conflict-affected communities,” said Zelalem Yaecob, a veterinarian with the ICRC in Ethiopia.

Veterinary posts were damaged in assessed woredas, some of which were burnt and looted, resulting in the loss of their equipment and stocks of drugs. Hence there are no functional veterinary service structures in the woredas that were assessed. They all lack basic equipment and drugs for livestock treatment services. 

As a result, ICRC conducted livelihood-based interventions to protect key livestock assets of the pastoralist way of life. The ICRC provided the necessary finance, equipment, and vaccines for the livestock vaccination campaigns in Afar, Somali Regions, and some woredas in Oromia Region. A total of 1,448,678 shoats (sheep and goats), cattle, and camel were vaccinated against various animal diseases in the three regions. The vaccination campaign was conducted in nine woredas of Afar Region (Dallol, Koneba, Berhalle, Ab’ala, Erebti, Magalle, Yallo, Gulina, Ewa), three woredas of Somali Regional State (Meyumuluke, Qubi and Lagahida), and two woredas of Oromia (Meyu muluke and Kumbi) regions.

“The vaccination brought a lot of changes. It reduced the death of animals caused by different diseases. The death rate is very low now in comparison with the situation of two years ago.” said Mohammed Abdulqadir, Assistant Veterinarian with Erebti Woreda livestock department.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).