Disasters extend beyond the economic realm and are having deleterious consequences for food security and nutrition. LEGS targets livestock-owning communities affected by humanitarian crises, drawing on international evidence-based best practices to support authorities and communities to design and implement emergency responses that protect and rebuild livestock-based livelihoods.

The training aimed to boost the capacity of animal health and humanitarian workers to ensure high quality livelihoods impacts delivery of livestock-related projects in humanitarian situations. The training was organized with support from the FAO-WFP project ‘Strengthening Shock Responsive Systems in Karamoja’ (PRO-ACT) that aims to strengthen the capacity of the Government of Uganda to predict, anticipate, respond and reduce the impact of shocks in Karamoja while building on existing systems and mechanisms to act more effectively and efficiently.

Though the livestock sector in the Karamoja sub-region is already facing some challenges related to feed resources, poor health conditions, inadequate infrastructure for marketing, processing and value addition, disaster risks threaten to worsen the situation with potential effects on the people as well as on the livestock itself. Currently, a prolonged period of marginal rainfalls, droughts, and other hazards pose a significant risk to livestock health and productivity. This situation is further complicated by low veterinary services delivery and largely ungazetted livestock movements across international borders between Kenya and South Sudan in search of pasture, water and better livestock market prices.

The five-day training held in Moroto district attracted veterinary practitioners and Animal Husbandry Officers, District Local Government (DLGs) Officials from the nine districts of Karamoja, the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), the National Agricultural Research

Organization (NARO), the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) and World Food Programme (WFP).

Speaking to the trainees in Moroto, Mr James Terjanian, FAO’s Food Security and Livelihoods Coordinator, said that given the pastoral/agro pastoral nature of livelihoods in Karamoja as well as the importance of livestock in the sub-region, it is imperative to be aware of and consider the options for responding to livestock emergencies when developing humanitarian response programming.

“Information from the March 2023 sub-regional early warning bulletins, of which the production and dissemination are supported by PRO-ACT, as well as Event Mobile Application (EMA-i) information reports, indicate that in addition to Foot and Mouth Disease reported in the sub-region, there are indications of the presence of other livestock diseases, and increasing factors for the spread of these diseases which could contribute to the worsening of the situation,” said James.
The District Production Officer for Moroto District; Dr Francis Inangolet, hailed FAO for continuous support over the years and urged trainees to use the LEGS training opportunity to contribute to improving livestock health and protect the livelihoods of pastoralists and livestock-reliant households in the sub-region, and beyond.

It is anticipated that by the end of the training, all trainees shall be equipped with relevant knowledge and skills to effectively and efficiently plan and respond to livestock needs during disasters.

As an immediate action from the training, trainees from the nine DLGs recommended;

• Integration and mainstreaming of LEGS approach in sub-county and district planning and budgeting to enable timely response when disasters happen.
• Community sensitization and awareness on LEGS approach to popularize it and make it applicable during analysis of technical interventions when hazards/disasters happen.
• Strengthen Partnerships and Coordination among government agencies, humanitarian organizations, research institutions, and local communities involved in LEGS implementation and establish platforms for knowledge exchange, sharing of experiences, and joint planning to ensure a cohesive and coordinated approach to livestock management during emergencies.
• Advocating for increased funding for government and humanitarian agencies to invest in improving infrastructure to ensure the efficient delivery of livestock services and emergency response measures such as improved road networks, establishing veterinary facilities in strategic locations, and strengthening cold chain systems for vaccines and medicines.
• Development of specific hazard or disaster response plans to enable preparedness and timely response during emergencies by all districts.

About LEGS

The LEGS was developed to provide practical guidance to humanitarian actors, government agencies, and communities involved in emergency response and livestock-based interventions. LEGS was designed to promote good practices and standards for livestock programming, ensuring that the needs of both animals and humans are taken care of. The LEGS framework consists of various aspects of livestock management during emergencies, including Emergency preparedness and response, Livestock health, and disease control, Livestock feeding and nutrition, Livestock production and breeding, and Livestock marketing and trade.