Central America recently experienced one of the worst floods in recent years, product of cyclone activity during the month of October, with over 500,000 people affected and more than 100 fatalities caused by the torrential rains in the region. The emergency was caused by three different storm systems, including Hurricane Jova, Tropical Storm Irwin and Tropical Depression 12E. The governments of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua declared states of emergency.
Name of Disaster/Crisis: Brazilian, Rio
de Janeiro floods/slides
Date: January 19th, 2011
Background
A cold front stationed above Rio de Janeiro
has caused heaviest rainfall in over 40 years, which caused landslides
and floods. Most affected area was the mountains north of Rio (less than
140 km from the city), specially the three mentioned municipalities, where
more than 600 people were killed and over 6,500 were left homeless (unofficially
the death toll is close to 600 already).
The mobile veterinary clinic donated by
the Human Society of Antigua and Barbuda finally arrived in Port au Prince,
after more than a week dealing with red tape to bring it in from the Dominican
Republic. It crossed the border around five o'clock in the morning with
a WSPA team directed by Sergio Vasquez, our disaster management officer
from Costa Rica.
Today was also the first day of work
for the local vet team hired by ARCH. We treated 189 animals in Lilavois
in Port au Prince; mainly dogs and goats, but also pigs, chickens, cows,
Date of Work : 4th October 2009 to 13th
October 2009
Project Summary
This WSPA intervention with its member
societies has offered immediate veterinary health care for the animals
which are affected by the earthquake in Padang, Pariaman and Padang Pariaman
districts of West Sumatra province.
This operation was facilitated with the
livestock department of West Sumatra and the respective district livestock
authorities at local level in the earthquake area.
Geographical Location: BRAZILIAN
NORTHEASTERN REGION
Project Dates and Duration: N/A
Key Statement
Eleven states in the North Eastern Region
of Brazil (with Maranhao being the worst affected) have been flooded since
the end of March 2009 (Source: Brazilian Red Cross).
The main and most immediate concern is
the loss of pastures for livestock, equines, goats and sheep. WSPA proposes
On January 8th, 2009, a 6.2 Richter scale
seismic event stroke the Northern region of the Central Valley of Costa
Rica, causing considerable destruction to households and several kilometres
or roads were damaged and more than 14 Km were totally destroyed, impeding
to access the worst affected areas (San Rafael and La Cinchona). Assessment
of these areas is pending until secure and safe access is granted by authorities.
Please see below for information on the impact.
Author: Diego Hernandez - DSVO - WSPA
Andean Region
Introduction
This report covers the WSPA response
actions during December 2008 to carry out the feed delivery in four affected
areas impacted by heavy storms in Colombia during the second rainy season
in 2008.
Background
Colombia has been severely affected by
floods and landslides caused by extreme rainfall which began in mid- September
and increased in intensity over the following two weeks.
According to the Colombian Institute
for Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM), this heavy
According to CNE (Spanish acronym for
National Emergency Commission of CR), floods and high winds associated
with low pressure centers generated strong winds and daily heavy rains
at the Caribbean region, Northern and Central Valley of Costa Rica.
The interaction between the two atmospheric
events, followed by a cold front produced an unprecedented amount of rain
leading to floods, especially over the Caribbean region.
10,000 acres of banana crops were destroyed
with 1,300 producers suffered this loss.
Intense rain in Central and Southern
South America has caused flooding to occur in Argentina, particularly in
Tucuman (North West) and Santa Fe Provinces (North East). WSPA has
been working on (flood) risk reduction activities in Santa Fe Province
since 2006 and a team of experts led by WSPA vet Dr Juan Carlos Murillo
from the WSPA Costa Rica Office is now on the ground helping the authorities
to protect the livestock upon whom so much of the community depend for
livelihood and sustainability from suffering further from the effects of
the floods.
1. Heavy rains beginning in December
2006 have caused major rivers to overflow in Bolivia, affecting communities
in eight of the country's nine departments. Flooding has resulted in landslides
and obstructed roads, isolating some rural communities. Floodwaters have
destroyed crops, killed livestock, led to the deaths of 40 people and has
displaced at least 25,000 people. According to the Government of
the Republic of Bolivia (GOB), the disaster has affected about 340,000
people, causing major human and material damage; the disaster continues
One year on from the devastating earthquake
in Pakistan, WSPA is in the final stages of a long-term recovery programme
aimed at helping to rebuild the country's crippled veterinary infrastructure.
The impact of the earthquake
As well as killing 82,000 people and
displacing a further 3.2 million, the earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter
Scale, also killed more than 30% of the livestock in Northern Pakistan
that are crucial for much of the population's liveliehoods.
WSPA is supporting its Member Society the
Animal Help Foundation (AHF) to bring emergency relief to livestock in
the flood stricken provinces of West India.
WSPA has stepped in to help AHF by providing
financial support that will enable two teams of vets to treat around 20,000
animals over 20 days.
''Each team of 12 vets hope to reach
around 500 animals a day. They will be treating sick and injured animals,
giving vaccinations and providing medicines, working at all times with
The World Society for the Protection of
Animals (WSPA) is helping the disaster relief effort in flooded South East
Europe by funding groups delivering animal aid to the worst hit areas.
Thousands of people and their farm animals
have been displaced and hectares of land flooded across Serbia and Montenegro,
Romania and Bulgaria. Initial estimates from the municipal governments
in Serbia and Montenegro place farm damage alone at $44m dollars.
In Romania 6,000 farm animals have been
evacuated to higher ground, 73,000 hectares of land are submerged and losses
The World Society for the Protection of
Animals (WSPA) is continuing to provide funding and practical help to Pakistan
as part of the continued Recovery Phase after the devastation caused by
the massive earthquake in October 2005.
Emergency veterinary packs that include
specialist provision for working equines and comprising essential instruments,
equipment and drugs and medicines have been supplied to the Provincial
Governments of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir
(AJK) in order to restock the veterinary clinics that were damaged or destroyed
The World Society for the Protection of
Animals (WSPA) is providing funding and practical help to Kenya to manage
the major catastrophe facing the country's livestock due to the current
drought.
Emergency veterinary supplies are being
provided to enable local vets to treat thousands of cattle and goats who
are suffering from diseases brought on by dehydration and starvation.
WSPA Regional Director for Africa Nigel
Wilson said:"By working with local vets we aim to sustain some of
the livestock through the drought. The local people, who are facing appalling
Subfreezing temperatures are to bring further
troubled times to the survivors of the Pakistan earthquake as the Himalayan
winter closes in. WSPA is in Pakistan providing veterinary support, building
clinics and ensuring the welfare of livestock.
Thousands of Animals Died
Around 30% of livestock was wiped out
when the earthquake struck Pakistan in October 2005. Hundreds of thousands
of buffalo and cattle died. Animals were killed or injured by falling shelters
or debris.
The Situation So Far
The October earthquake in Pakistan and
Kashmir had a devastating affect on the region. 80,000 people are estimated
to have died and millions more have been affected, losing families, friends,
homes and livelihoods.
When the earthquake hit, around 30% of
livestock perished, including hundreds of thousands of buffalo and cattle
whose milk provides essential sustenance and income to the local people.
Animals were killed or injured by falling shelters and debris and others
died of shock.
A WSPA disaster assessment team has been
deployed to Pakistan in the aftermath of the earthquake to determine livestock
welfare and the measures necessary to enable their survival through winter.
Harsh Winter Conditions
The onset of winter is likely to impact
adversely on the surviving livestock in the area. These animals are essential
for the long term recovery of local communities where eighty percent of
the population are involved in agriculture upon which their livelihoods
depend.
Needs Assessment
If there is a need for livestock shelter
and veterinary care, the team will:
Disaster relief teams from the World Society
for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), an international UN-recognised charity
representing more than 550 member societies worldwide, are co-ordinating
emergency aid efforts currently underway for the animal victims of Hurricane
Stan in Costa Rica and El Salvador.
WSPA and its member societies are going
to the aid of thousands of animals in need of help. In Costa Rica, WSPA
responded directly to a request for help from the Government's National
Commission for Emergency Management.
An earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter
scale, which occurred on 8 October 2005, has affected large areas in northern
Pakistan, leaving tens of thousands of people dead. Massive destruction
has taken place in the North Western Frontier Province (NWFP).
Livestock and Companion Animals Significantly
Affected
Fakhar i Abbas, WSPA's Representative
in Pakistan, reports that significant populations of livestock and companion
animals are likely to have been affected. WSPA is already arranging to
deploy several emergency vet teams from Pakistan and is identifying vets
