Background
Everyone has seen the distressing images on the news of the war in Iraq. Thankfully aid agencies are providing some relief for the millions of people affected by the war. The Iraqi people must now try to rebuild their country, their homes and their lives. WSPA has been asked by the US State Department to attend to the animals in Iraq after the devastating conflict and the previous 12 years of sanctions.

The mission will be to provide emergency relief for the suffering animals in post war Iraq and begin the long term process of improving animal welfare in the country.

Latest Reports
(This page will be updated as developments occur)

Friday 16th May 2003

Iraq's veterinary system on the verge of collapse - assessment recommends distribution of life saving medicines

Iraq's veterinary system is in dire need of life saving medicines to help the animals of this war-torn country, according to a disaster relief assessment carried out by WSPA and its member society, the Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad (SPANA).

Dr John Gripper, senior veterinarian and WSPA Board Director, conducted the assessment. It took place in Baghdad during 10-14 May 2003 and involved numerous meetings with officials from Iraq's State Veterinary Service as well as the Food & Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), US authorities and representatives at Baghdad Zoo.

With the initial assessment now completed, WSPA and SPANA are making logistical preparations to deploy a team with emergency vet supplies as soon as possible.

Iraq's State Veterinary Service:

The State Veterinary Service is part of the Ministry of Agriculture with the headquarters and Central Office based in Baghdad.

The veterinary service in Central and Southern Iraq is managed through 15 veterinary hospitals, geographically located throughout this area. Within the Governate of each hospital there are a variable number of subsidiary veterinary clinics. These veterinary hospitals are all staffed but are suffering a severe shortage of essential veterinary medicines.

In Baghdad itself, looters have stripped bare the University's Veterinary College as well as the State Veterinary Offices at the Ministry of Agriculture.

Disaster relief

WSPA and SPANA are to concentrate upon helping to rebuild Iraq's veterinary infrastructure that is so vital to the future well-being of working and livestock animals across the country, as well as the communities that they support.

Tens of thousands of doses of life saving drugs (eg.broad spectrum antibiotics) are desperately needed. Due to the poor communication and lack of security around the country, WSPA and SPANA will need to deliver the supply of veterinary medicines directly to each hospital to ensure that they reach their destination.

Dr Gripper is now en route back to London where WSPA is planning the logistics required to put this mercy mission into action.

Thursday 8th May 2003

Dr John Gripper, senior veterinarian and a Board Director of the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), has arrived in Kuwait and is expected to fly to Baghdad on Saturday 10th May to facilitate a disaster relief team poised to aid the animal victims of war-torn Iraq. Dr Gripper will meet with Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture veterinarians and British Embassy officials in readiness for a full assessment of the animal welfare needs in Iraq to be carried out by a WSPA coordinated team, with its member society SPANA (the Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad).

The WSPA/SPANA assessment team is likely to move into Iraq later next week and will cover the area around Al Basrah and the route from Basra to Baghdad.

To date, financial or operational support has been pledged to WSPA by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA), the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), The Vancouver Foundation and the following WSPA member societies: American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Brooke Hospital for Animals, the Donkey Sanctuary, Lega Anti Vivisezione (Italy) and RSPCA.

Wednesday 7th May 2003

Dr John Gripper, senior veterinarian and a Board Director of WSPA, is currently en route to Kuwait where he will act as an advance party to facilitate the imminent deployment of a disaster relief team that is currently on standby. The team is being coordinated by WSPA, with its member society SPANA (the Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad) and is poised to go to the aid of the animal victims of the war in Iraq.

Dr Gripper is scheduled to arrive in Kuwait at approximately 20:00 hrs local time tonight. His primary role will be to liaise with the Humanitarian Operations Centre (HOC) and various parties regarding animal welfare issues in Iraq.

Wednesday 30th April 2003
A US colonel has been designated as WSPA's military liaison in Iraq and the team will be deployed once the green light has been given. This is in line with accepted protocol in such situations and to effectively coordinate efforts with the full cooperation of the authorities in Iraq.

WSPA is also on standby to install one of its senior veterinarians with experience in disaster relief, Dr John Gripper, in Kuwait to liaise with the Humanitarian Operations Centre and various parties regarding animal welfare issues in Iraq.

Trevor Wheeler, WSPA's Disaster Relief Director, said, "We are indirectly aware, from reports in the media, that individuals are already in Baghdad attending to the immediate needs of some of the city's captive zoo animals. As soon as we are granted official clearance to enter from our existing military liaison in Baghdad, we will undertake an urgently needed assessment of the situation facing the animals of Iraq as a whole. Livestock, companion and working animals are likely to require a great deal of help which will play a vital role in helping the people of Iraq, who largely rely on their animals for their livelihoods." Click here for the full story

Thursday 24th April 2003
A joint disaster relief team coordinated by WSPA and member society, the Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad (SPANA) is currently awaiting final clearance to enter Iraq to aid the animal casualties of the war. Detailed plans for the relief operation have been held up due to difficulties in gaining permission to enter the war-torn country.

Wednesday 16th April 2003
Images of animals in Baghdad Zoo and other private animal collections have further triggered WSPA's desire to enter Iraq and bring aid to all the animal victims of this war.

Thursday 10th April 2003
As the old regime in Iraq starts to crumble, WSPA is stepping up efforts to plan for the most appropriate response for the animals in Iraq. The exact scale and nature of the animal welfare problem in Iraq is still very unclear.

Wednesday 19th March 2003
Officials of the U.S. State Department have made a request to the Humanitarian Operations Centre in Kuwait asking them to co-operate with WSPA in addressing the potential animal welfare issues that will be faced in post-war Iraq.