Following on from last week, when serious flooding was occurring in Thailand and Vietnam, unfortunately both countries continue to be battered; the Philippines has now joined them, with Cyclone Megi leaving at least 200,000 people homeless in the northern island of Luzon. We are conducting a remote assessment of livestock and companion animals and hope to know more about this situation soon.
In Thailand, where two large areas have been affected by floods, members of the Disaster Management team in Bangkok completed an assessment in the western provinces of Petchburi and Karnchanaburi. Together with the government’s department of livestock, our staff found that 14,000 cattle will benefit from access to mineral blocks, which we are subsidising. Supplies will be distributed next week. However, Nagorn province in central Thailand has also been affected by its worst floods in 50 years. WSPA has already conducted an assessment and will deploy a team on the ground to deliver mineral blocks for livestock and pet food for companion animals.
Floods continue to devastate the Central Vietnamese provinces of Quang Binh and Ha Tinh, as we reported last week, however the ever-changing situation of the rains has means no access for our staff to assess the situation on the ground. We are in constant meetings with local governmental departments and NGOs, and, staff from our South and Southeast Asia office are compiling assessment information.
On a more conclusive note, we are providing further funding towards the Pakistan floods of August is to begin as soon as possible via the Vets Care Club (VCC) in the same area where efforts have been concentrated, Kot Adu. Some 2,500 animals will benefit from vaccinations against foot-and-mouth disease and intestinal worms, common amongst flood-affected livestock, and offering them greater resistance to the oncoming winter. In addition, we will donate veterinary equipment to VCC to further strengthen their future ability to cope in disasters.
As for Europe’s most serious current environmental disaster, Hungary’s toxic sludge spill, WSPA has given a grant of £1,500 to the Rex Foundation which is coordinating the animal response to the spill. This grant, given alongside other organisations such as the Dogs Trust and the RSPCA, will help provide emergency veterinary equipment to treat the affected animals in the field and also in their veterinary surgery. Our specialists here also have been giving technical veterinary advice.
