A critical meeting was yesterday held at the Jubbaland Ministry of Livestock and Animal Husbandry to discuss the effects of the ongoing drought situation in the Jubbaland region.
The meeting presented information gathered from the three regions of Jubbaland regional state and attended by senior veterinarians from the Ministry of Livestock, the Director of the Ministry and the Minister for Livestock.
A total of 34,000 livestock, including camels, cows and donkeys, were said to have died in this ravaging drought, according to the Jubbaland Minister for Livestock, Mohamed Noor Ali.
“Our capacity is beyond the current drought in Jubbaland so we need to unite to address this ravaging drought situation,” Said Mohamed Noor Ali.
The worst affected areas include Afmadow, Badhaadhe, Kulbiyow and its environs.
Livestock deaths were attributed to lack of pasture, water and diseases as well as livestock crossing the Kenya-Ethiopia border into Somalia, which the Ministry of Livestock says has severely infected livestock.
Challenges to the worsening drought situation include the country’s poor economy and limited access to aid.
The Jubbaland ministry of Livestock’s efforts during the drought include testing animals to ensure animal health, and blood samples from animals have been transferred to the national laboratory for disease control.
Jubbaland Minister for Livestock Mohamed Noor Ali appealed to the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and donor agencies not to underestimate the current drought situation in the Jubbaland state.
“Some pastoralists have lost their livestock but if left unchecked, the remaining animals now left may not be safe and given the current drought situation, the remaining small herds may end up wiped out completely. Therefore urgent address of the drought situation in Jubbaland is necessary,” Said Mohamed Noor Ali.
