Brooke has set up a relief camp to treat donkeys, horses and livestock.

Working animal charity Brooke has issued an urgent appeal for emergency aid to support the donkeys, horses and livestock of Pakistan.

It comes as nearly 6,000 animals are estimated to have died as a result of the floods which hit the area.

The charity has organised a relief camp in the Buner district of Pakistan, where it is offering emergency veterinary services to animals and supporting animal-owning families. Working animals, such as horses, donkeys, goats and sheep, have perished in flash floods, landslides and cloudbursts.

The death toll includes more than 400 equines, which are vital in local agriculture and transport.

Brooke’s work is expected to benefit 1,000 working animals and 6,000 animal-owning families in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is also exploring the need for relief in other parts of Pakistan, such as the Sindh province.

Chris Wainwright, CEO of Brooke, said: “The devastating floods in Pakistan are a stark reminder that when disaster strikes, it is not only people who suffer but also the animals they depend on.”

As relief efforts continue, Brooke has issued an urgent appeal for donations to support its work in Pakistan and beyond.

Donations support the charity in providing medicines and other resources to working animals in deprived areas. It also contributes towards the training of veterinary professionals to treat equines and treat lameness and laminitis.

However, the charity has also called for working animals to be better integrated into disaster protocols.

Brooke believes that disaster risk and response protocols need to provide allowance for working animals to be evacuated safely and provided with necessary care. This could also benefit humans, since working animals can carry people out of disaster zones on their backs.
 
Mr Wainwright added: “Aid must reach livestock-owning communities who are often most vulnerable and furthest left behind, and often below the radar of government assistance. Aid provisions for animals are vital as every working horse or donkey supports a family of six or more.

“In the aftermath of disasters, those animals can help people rebuild damaged infrastructure and livelihoods.”

Donations can be made on the Brooke website.

Image © Brooke