The impact of armed conflict on animal well-being and welfare, and analyzing damage assessment on the veterinary sector: The case of Ethiopia's Tigray region.

Tigray war broke out on November 4, 2020, and lasted until November 3, 2022. The war has caused a significant loss of human life and a catastrophic economic and humanitarian crisis. The war affected the food and water supplies to farmers to care their livestock and this led to animal death, malnutrition, and suffering. In addition, a significant number of animals have been subjected to flee the region and killed during the warfare. The veterinary sector is significantly damaged and animals became a victim. Veterinarians and animal health workers have fled the region because of the war, and this adds an extra burden to the sector. Although the impact of this war on animal life, welfare and overall, on the livestock infrastructure is significant, no study has been conducted so far. We analyzed the level of damage to the veterinary sector and number of animal loss following the war. Our analytical study showed the war has claimed a total of 2,487,047 cattle, 1,690,096 sheep, 3,803,860 goat, 610,976 donkey, 4,280,815 poultry, and 231,985 beehives. Such loss led to an estimated total financial loss of 53.56 billion Ethiopian birr (∼1.01 billion USD). We also analyzed the destruction level of the veterinary infrastructures in percentage, and the associated financial loss due to facility damage and animal disappearances from the region. A complete destruction (100 %) of veterinary facilities was reported in 10 districts and this accounts to an estimated financial loss of 68.59 million Ethiopian birrs (1.3 million USD). In conclusion, Tigray war has caused an immense impact to animal welfare and veterinary sector and a collaborative effort between governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and professional bodies is required to restore to restor the sector. This study also highlighted how the war jeopardize animal right and wellbeing. Thus, we believe this study will be an input for national and international policy makers working on international convention for animal protection and rights.