(ERGO) – When veterinarians from the Somaliland livestock ministry visited the rural village of Ahmed Buur in Sabawanag district on 3 September, Garad Abdilahi Ahmed eagerly presented his 80 goats – all enfeebled by drought and sickness – for treatment.
He once owned a herd of 250 goats and was fearing the total loss of his family’s livelihood with the remaining animals suffering from hunger and disease, and unlikely to survive in the event of rainfall.
Garad told Radio Ergo that he could see his goats becoming noticeably healthier and stronger after the treatment.
“Our livestock were previously weak and malnourished, they have given them vitamins and other injections, some of them cough medicine. They have treated our livestock, and you can tell the difference,” he said.
Garad used to take two of his healthier goats to the market in Hargeisa and exchange them for 300 kgs of maize, sorghum and porridge to sustains his family of 12 and the herd. After this timely veterinary treatment campaign, all he now hopes for is rainfall.
The Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries is aiming to treat 1.1 million livestock including camels, cows, and goats in Somaliland’s six regions, according to Filsan Abdisalan Abdilahi, the coordinator of the livestock treatment campaign in Marodi Jeh region.
She said the ministry has been trying to mitigate the effects of the worsening drought situation, by ensuring better health and prospects for 1,025,000 goats, 56,000 camels, and 11,000 cows.
“This campaign began when we got alerts that the drought was getting worse and the livestock were in dire conditions. There has not been a general disease outbreak, so this has been a nutritional project as the livestock have become weak. Different teams were sent to different areas, and we hope that we will reach all the targeted livestock in the 15 days allocated,” she explained. “We may also extend the time and personnel if there is need so that we are able to address the situation.”
The campaign is due to end on 10 September after which the teams will visit water sources and IDP areas to reach out to pastoralist families that could have missed out.
Abdi Omar Ahmed, who has been living in Qoryale, had his 72 goats and five camels treated on 26 August for skin diseases, coughing and running noses, and foot and mouth disease. The veterinary team spent five days in Qoryale treating all the livestock there.
He has not seen rainfall for two years, and between mid-July and early August he watched 35 of his goats die. Their survival is vital for Abdi Omar and his family of 10, who have been reaching out to relatives for support during these hard times. He feels confident now that his livestock can recover from the drought – if the expected rains do not fail again.
“We have seen changes in our livestock, the running noses have stopped, they look better and stronger. They have also been given fodder and they are doing better. The recurring drought has weakened their bodies and their immunity,” he said.
Abdi Omar said in previous years they used to regularly treat their goats whenever they saw certain signs. However, with the worsening drought, they could not afford the treatment. They sent their messages to the government and were happy they responded.
