ISLAMABAD: The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has delivered to the Livestock Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa some 100,000 PPR (Peste des Petits Ruminants) vaccines to help contain the spread of disease among the internally-displaced persons and their host communities.

The PPR is an acute contagious disease found in small livestock and poultry, which are invaluable assets of rural families.

These families earn their livelihood by selling meat, eggs and milk and loss of livestock would make them more vulnerable and dependent on humanitarian aid.

The organisation has delivered 100,000 PPR vaccines to the province’s Livestock Department

Experience suggests any neglect towards animals is apt to deteriorate their health.

FAO representative in Pakistan Patrick Evans says, “Livestock health is essential to protect the livelihood of the IDPs and their hosts”.

More than 800,000 people have moved out of North Waziristan and 70 per cent of the families took with them their animals.

According to a preliminary estimate of the KP Livestock Department, the IDPs brought by June end some 300,000 small and large ruminants and chickens to Bannu, Karak, Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat, Tank, and Kohat districts.

Also read: Displaced tribesmen selling cattle at throwaway prices

The displaced livestock need shelter, feed and water and veterinary care as many animals are carrying ticks thus risking spread of several human and animal diseases.

Some displaced animals are also suffering from infectious problems like foot and mouth disease, PPR, enterotoxaemia, black quarter and hemorrhagic septicaemia.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2014