Animal aid reaches Haiti

[Guest guest]

Jan 26, 2010

 

WSPA and the ARCH team arrived in Haiti over the weekend, to aid animals

affected by the devastating earthquake.

 

The team represents the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti (ARCH), formed

specifically to deal with the Haiti crisis and led by the World Society for the

Protection of Animals (WSPA) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare

(IFAW).

 

How are we helping?

The ARCH team is meeting with officials from the Haitian government and

international agencies such as the United Nations, to define the country's most

pressing animal-related problems.

 

" Eleven days after the earthquake, we found a city in ruins. The country will

not be able to start the massive rebuilding work required while its economy is

broken, " said Gerardo Huertas, WSPA Disaster Management Director for the

Americas. " But we have also met very professional people in the government, who

have shown a deep interest in working together with us and are committed to

providing us the support we need for the work ahead of us. "

 

The team is also helping to work up an extensive long-term plan which includes

options for creating and improving infrastructure for veterinary care, a

large-scale vaccination program and animal population control services.

 

" We had not considered including animals in our recovery plans, but after

meeting the ARCH team, we can see that it would be good to do so, " said Jean

Marie Claude Germain, the Haitian Minister of Environment.

 

" In addition to preventing deforestation and protecting our water reserves, we

are also discussing the need for a vaccination program to prevent the spread of

diseases in animal populations, " he added.

 

Building animal welfare in Haiti

According to figures from the Haiti government, only about 100,000 Haitian dogs

(from an estimated population of 500,000) were vaccinated against rabies last

year.

 

In addition, the Haitian government lacks sufficient medicines and vaccines to

protect pigs, cattle and other livestock against common illnesses, such as

anthrax and pig cholera.

 

" We are now at high risk of disease, which is why it is so important to start a

vaccination campaign as soon as possible, " said Dr. Michel Chancy, Haiti's

Minister of Animal Production.

 

What will happen next?

Most members of the ARCH team have returned to the Dominican Republic's capital,

Santo Domingo, in order to assemble supplies for the next emergency relief

exercise.

 

The first shipment of medicine and equipment needed to treat animals is expected

to arrive in Port-au-Prince from the Dominican Republic today. A mobile

veterinary clinic is also en route and will increase our capacity to help the

people and animals of Haiti.

 

The coalition team will also continue its assessment in the areas beyond

Port-au-Prince, implementing immediate veterinary aid to animals in cooperation

with the Haitian government.

 

 

http://www.wspa.org.uk/latestnews/2010/Animal_aid_reaches_Haiti.aspx