| dc.description.abstract | Some of the world's poor and most disaster-vulnerable communities are also those 1110streliant on
livestock, poultry and working animals for their survival. When disasters strike, in addition to the
immediate devastation, food insecurity anelloss of life, the loss of livestock can leave a secondary
legacy of economic instability, debt and dependency. In September 2011, the Worlel Society for the
Protection of Animals (WSPA) worked in collaboration with the University of Nairobi to mitigate
both immediate and long-term effects of the devastating drought affecting Kenya's animals and
people. In that year, following three years of poor or failed rains, more than 11 million people
faced starvation in East Africa. It was the region's worst drought in GO years. In Kenya alone, 3.5
million people were affected by the crisis, which was declared a national disaster by the Kenyan
government. For the people of Kenya's Mwingi districts, the keeping of livestock - including cattle,
goats, sheep and camels - is the primary local livelihood and forms the basis of the regional
economy. As the drought continued, daily life became a struggle for survival for both people and
their animals. Of the estimated animals thought to have been affected, in some areas, up to 45 per
cent of the animal population died. Management of livestock during this case helped to safeguard
livelihoods and food security of the affected region. | en_US |
