2008 Kenya Violence

In early 2008, chaos broke out in Kenya following a disputed election, leaving people and animals scrambling to escape the violence that engulfed the country for several months. In total, more than 1,000 people died, more than 500,000 were displaced and countless animals were affected.

With financial support from Humane Society International (HSI), local NGO The African Network for Animal Welfare (ANAW) was able to provide on-the-ground support by dispensing food, vaccinations and veterinary care to over 1,000 animals affected by the turmoil in Kenya.

April, 3, 2008

Post-Election Violence in Kenya Draws HSI Disaster Response

© ANAW

Dogs being vaccinated against rabies.

By Carly Ikuma

On the eve of the 2008 New Year, political violence erupted all over Kenya in the wake of heavily disputed election results. Media reports of more than 1,000 people killed and more than 500,000 displaced in this normally stable region shocked the world.

But as in most disaster situations, the unseen victims were the dogs forced to scavenge for food among the burnt ruins of houses and the livestock reluctantly abandoned, only to be stolen or killed.

The African Network for Animal Welfare (ANAW), a local NGO based in Nairobi and supported by Humane Society International (HSI), responded to the crisis by bringing much-needed supplies and assistance to eight Internally Displaced Persons camps in the Rift Valley and two private residences outside the capital.

Launched in late February and early March, the response reached over 1,000 animals and included rabies vaccinations for dogs, fodder for livestock and veterinary care. ANAW partnered with the Kenya Department of Veterinary Services, the University of Nairobi and Kenya Veterinary Association to expand their capabilities.

"We initially set out to do anti-rabies and spay/neuter to stop dogs from being baited using strychnine," says an ANAW representative. "But we discovered that the animals needed much more help than that."

For people who had lost nearly everything in the political upheaval, their animals were sometimes all they were left with.

At one IDP camp, ANAW staff treated a seriously burned cow who had survived an arson attack during the violence. The owner had already lost five of her cows after rioters set fire to her barn. At the Turbo IDP camp, responders treated 19 starving pigs fighting for a small pile of food, and the one remaining cow from a herd of four, providing some relief to a visibly shaken farmer.

A boy at the camp watching the treatment of the farm animals inquired about help for his dog, despite protests from other camp residents that dogs were killing livestock and biting children. "We successfully persuaded the community to spare the dogs," says an ANAW staffer. There were also amazing reports of dogs who had been left behind in the chaos, only to track down their human companions at camps located miles away.

© ANAW

A treated dog and cow.

Education was also a key component of the disaster response. "On the way to Kachbora IDP camp in Cherangani, we found a donkey overcome by what we estimated to be three tons of logs," says an ANAW volunteer. "We explained proper weight restrictions and manageable loads to the driver."

Often the unseen and unheard victims of political violence and natural disasters, animals suffer greatly when there is no one to respond to their needs. HSI's Disaster Response team has covered some of the most tragic events in recent years by collaborating with local groups on effective and comprehensive assistance.

With the help of our supporters, HSI will continue to expand our disaster services worldwide to reach as many animals as possible.

Updated Nov. 26, 2008.