In the wake of a devastating cyclone that ripped through Myanmar/Burma last week, up to 100,000 people have been killed and thousands more left homeless in the nation’s low-lying areas. While the ruling military junta has been painfully slow to grant visas for the many relief agencies requesting access, the BBC reports that U.N. aid has finally arrived and that more is on the way.
Human suffering in the aftermath of such a disaster is surely incalculable, but it can increase even further if affected animals are not cared for as well. Much was learned from Hurricane Katrina, when a poll revealed that 44% of respondents refused to leave their homes because emergency facilities did not accept their animals. Clearly, such a depravity of planning affects everyone involved, human and non-human.
In Myanmar, a highly rural country of 47.7 million people, the welfare of animals is intricately interlinked with the welfare of people. For example, livestock who starve, drown, or lose their market value can have a crippingly effect on those who care for them. Several animal welfare groups recently launched a disaster relief effort to stem this outcome.
Wandering how you can help? Check out this great list of charities by Network for Good and another by InterAction.
