4 August, Sana’a– The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has completed a month-long livestock vaccination and treatment campaign in Yemen as part of its continued efforts to control transboundary animal diseases and build resilience of communities through regular vaccination and treatment activities. 

Over 600 000 sheep and goats in 16 districts throughout the country were vaccinated against Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) and Sheep and Goat Pox (SGP), and treated against various internal and external parasites and diseases. PPR and SGP are two highly infectious animal diseases that affect most small ruminants in Yemen, decreasing the viability of the livestock sector, which is one of the remaining lifelines and income sources for the majority of the rural population.

According to FAO Representative in Yemen, Dr Hussein Gadain, animal diseases - if not adequately addressed, can have severe consequences on the country's already compromised food security. "In Yemen, where over half of the population is grappling with acute hunger and the resilience of livelihoods has been eroded by six years of continuous conflict, keeping livestock alive and healthy is becoming increasingly vital", he said. "It is campaigns such as these that provide much-needed respite to thousands of vulnerable livestock-dependent households who would otherwise lose their only remaining productive assets ", he added.

The campaign is part of the implementation of a three-year programme titled Supporting Resilient Livelihoods and Food Security in Yemen (ERRYII), jointly funded by the European Union (EU) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), and was carried out in close coordination with local authorities and the Ministry of Agriculture with additional support from the Smallholder Agricultural Productivity Restoration and Enhancement Project (SAPREP) funded by the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP) under supervision from the World Bank. Under the ERRYII, FAO seeks to shore up the livelihoods options of vulnerable households through interventions such as animal vaccination and treatment campaigns that save livestock assets, giving communities the resilience they need to cope with the conflict-induced crisis. Over 72 teams of local agriculture officers were deployed throughout targeted governorates to oversee vaccination efforts and conduct pre and post efficacy tests.

"Through a simple calculation, we can assess the economic value of vaccinating livestock; one vaccine costs just USD 0.40 compared to over USD 100 to replace a dead animal”, added FAO Yemen's Senior Emergency and Resilience Officer, Andrea Berloffa. Mr Berloffa stressed the importance of extending vaccination efforts to other districts, “the animals saved thanks to this campaign are the main source of food and income for pastoral families, including daily milk supply, which is especially vital for the nutrition and well-being of children and lactating mothers – it is critical that these efforts are extended to other areas that were not reached during this campaign”, he highlighted.

The completed campaign, which is expected to lead to increased income generation for over 36 000 livestock-dependent households, is one of the ways in which FAO is working to protect, rebuild and restore agricultural productivity and create livelihood opportunities in Yemen as millions of Yemenis continue to grapple with the consequences of a devastating conflict.

In 2021, FAO is seeking 90 million dollars to reduce acute food insecurity and safeguard the livelihoods of 6.3 million vulnerable people in Yemen.

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