Tsunami disaster
All members of the profession have been shocked by the severity of the 26 December 2004 tsunami in Asia and the devastating effect that it has had on local communities in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and elsewhere.
The response by governments and individuals to the United Nations and aid agencies appeals for donations to assist those affected has been excellent but relatively little attention was, understandably, paid initially to the plight of animals. The tsumani has resulted in death and suffering of livestock, pets and wildlife, often because of their being abandoned, unable to find food or fresh water or being caught in rising waters or debris. In addition, there are human-related factors such as increased risks to public health from animal diseases, the loss or shortage of meats, milk and other products, and social and cultural disruption to societies in which lives and security depend upon animals.
The Commonwealth Veterinary Association (CVA) has taken the lead in the region but does not have the infrastructure, or the staff, to do so alone. It is, therefore, working in close contact with other organisations, particularly the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), which has many years' experience of providing disaster relief for animals. At national levels, the CVA is liaising with local bodies with comparable aims and expertise - for example, in India, with the Blue Cross in Chennai – and is in close contact with colleagues in Sri Lanka and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Particular needs at present are the supply of medicines and surgical equipment: evidently it is cheaper to buy medicines in India than buying them abroad and sending them to India.
Any funds or offers of assistance can be sent directly to the CVA relief centre in Bangalore, India, and it will be coordinated from there. Please contact:
Dr S Abdul Rahman
Secretary, Commonwealth Veterinary Association
123, 7th B Main Road, 4th Block (West)
Jayanagar
Bangalore
560 011 India
Tel: +91 80 26635210
Mobile: +91 98 44066352
Email: shireen@blr.vsnl.net.in
Updates from Dr Rahman:
Representatives from WSPA have travelled to Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and India to assess the animal welfare situation. As well as providing immediate assistance, its teams, comprising veterinarians and disaster relief experts, are assessing the scale of the animal welfare problem faced by affected countries, making plans for longer-term aid and helping to rebuild the animal welfare community in the region. To avoid outbreaks of disease, WSPA is also carefully monitoring the need for animal vaccination programmes in liaison with the Office International des Epizooties (OIE), and will take action to deal with disease outbreaks should they arise.
A joint team from WSPA and the Humane Society International (HSI) has just returned from Banda Aceh, Indonesia. The team’s leader, Ray Butcher MRCVS, said that the scale of human loss was beyond belief. Most animals within the disaster zone would have been killed outright and those that survived appeared healthy. The team found no evidence of animal welfare problems caused as a result of the tsunami, but there were many pre-existing problems that would be exacerbated by the destruction of the provincial veterinary infrastructure. In an article published in The Veterinary Record
WSPA has launched an appeal for the animals in the area. Further information on the appeal and updates on relief work can be found on the WSPA’s website – http://www.wspa-international.org/
Regular reports and updates from a number of international organisations (e.g. CVA, WSPA, FAO, OIE) are posted on the World Veterinary Association website – www.worldvet.org
Within the UK, both the CVA and the BVA Overseas Group are doing all possible to keep abreast of the animal-related needs following the tsunami and how best veterinary surgeons might assist. For further information, contact Helena Cotton at BVA, tel: +44 (0)20 7636 6541, e-mail:
BVA Overseas Group
25 January 2005