The lives of animals and people are fundamentally linked. An estimated one billion people across the world are dependent on their animals – for food, to earn a living, to stay healthy, as companions, to stay safe.
Consequently, protecting animals should play a central role in any effective disaster response. Putting animal welfare at the heart of disaster risk reduction, resilience and preparedness planning, significantly reduces suffering, speeds up recovery and reduces dependency on aid after a disaster.
But this link is not always recognised or understood. We’ve been working in partnership with the IFRC since 2012, to find practical solutions to disaster risk reduction measures where animals are included, in order to strengthen resilience and preparedness of communities and to provide evidence to the sector.
The event in Geneva aims to highlight the benefits of animal protection in providing effective aid, bringing together experts from across the humanitarian and development sectors to share learning and discuss the topic.
World Animal Protection and IFRC say:
“A billion of the world’s poor rely on animals for their food supply and their livelihoods. Helping animals, means helping people. When disasters strike, the survival of both people and animals depend on each other.
“World Animal Protection and the IFRC are working together to promote the benefits of good animal welfare for communities.”
Read more about our work with animals in disasters.
