Rains bring new livestock problems
23/09/2010
Around 40% of the cattle, sheep and goats in northern Mali have died as a result of drought in the course of this year, the US Agency for International Development has estimated. An estimated 80% of the people who live in the region rely on livestock and agriculture for their survival.
In recent weeks, rains have improved pasture in the north of the country, improving the survival prospects for many of the animals that remain, but AVSF has pointed out that animals weakened by months of malnutrition are more susceptible to waterborne disease, making this a critical time for veterinary care.
Weak animals are also more likely to be washed away by heavy rains. In Ber, a village near Timbuktu, 1,200 livestock drowned in July when two years' worth of rain fell in two days.
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