Cows, sheep and goats represent a vital asset for many vulnerable farmers and play a significant role in rural farmers’ food security and livelihoods. Livestock keeping has a significant impact on rural well-being and poverty alleviation as the livestock and dairy sector generates household income through sales of live animals and dairy products. By providing the essential animal vaccines, the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) with support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Lebanon are protecting the livelihoods of vulnerable livestock herders.

Funded by the World Bank, MoA, in collaboration with FAO, concluded a national vaccination campaign, during Spring and Fall 2023. It targeted around 12 000 vulnerable livestock herders all over the country providing more than 1 500 000 vaccine doses of the Foot and Mouth Disease, Lumpy Skin Disease, Peste des Petits Ruminants, and Sheep and Goat Pox vaccines.

For Hares Ouneysi, a Lebanese farmer, the Foot and Mouth Disease is a very difficult one that must be treated in a timely manner as it can lead to the death of many cows. Lumpy Skin Disease is also a very difficult disease to deal with, because when its symptoms appear it’s already too late to save the cows. Hares is thankful for the support he received from the Ministry and FAO in providing the necessary vaccines to his herd.

Another Lebanese farmer, Adel Tehmaz, shares the same opinion as Hares. “Without this support, we would not have been able to vaccinate our livestock easily,” he said, standing proudly in front of his animals.

From her side, veterinary technical assistant from the Ministry’s Agricultural Center in Deir El Qamar, Abeer Harb, said, “This vaccination campaign is beneficial on several levels.” “At the Ministry level, it also helped updating livestock data and obtain accurate field information, which leads to more successful support to farmers,” she added.

“In light of the successive crises that Lebanon is going through, FAO, along with MoA, continue to support women and men farmers,” stated Nora Ourabah Haddad, FAO Representative in Lebanon. She added: “with the support of the World Bank, FAO contributed to the implementation of the preventive vaccination campaign to preserve livestock by providing vaccines, equipment, human resources, and logistical support. This couldn’t have been possible without the joint planning and cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture,” she concluded.

This national animal vaccination campaign was implemented under the Small-Scale Farmers Support program launched in 2021. The program benefited from a US$10 million reallocation under the ongoing World Bank financed Roads and Employment Project to support small farmers impacted by the economic and financial crisis in Lebanon, with inputs and materials to help them continue with their planting and animal production, and thus support their ability to contribute to food security. The program financed 26 687 input vouchers to small scale farmers from across all Lebanese territories.