This FAO manual provides technical advice and guidelines for each of the livestock interventions most common during emergency response to natural and human-induced disasters. These are: destocking, veterinary support, provision of feed, provision of water, shelters and provision of livestock. There is also a chapter on the use of cash transfer and one on monitoring, evaluation and assessing the impact of emergency livestock projects. The manual complements the Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS) handbook.

The benefit of an adequate framework for the management of animal health emergency operations has been repeatedly shown over the years, highlighting a need to build and upgrade capabilities to effectively and efficiently manage animal health emergency operations at all levels. This need can begin to be met through the guidance provided in this manual. Equipped with practical examples, samples and guidelines, this manual supports countries and relevant local, national, regional and international organizations as they prepare for and manage operations during an animal health emergency. The manual is designed to be used in line with the 'Good Emergency Management Practice: The Essentials' manual, applying Good Emergency Management Practice (GEMP) principles and a One Health approach, and providing a global view of how to act during the peacetime and emergency phases of animal health events. This global manual is presented in such a way that veterinary services and relevel local authorities in countries around the world can use the information therein as guidance to create or adapt their own systems, and build a customized emergency operations management manual.

In today’s world, the risk of spread of animal health diseases, within a country or across borders, is on the rise. Contributing factors include growing animal populations, increased movement of humans and animals, market intensification and global trade. Animal health services around the world play an essential role in curbing animal disease spread. They do so by increasing their capacity to manage animal health emergencies, preparing for such events during “peacetime” and reflecting on lessons learned during the “reconstruction phase”. These actions look to enhance a country’s state of operational readiness ahead of future events. Carrying out an After Action Review (AAR) of a country’s emergency response is an integral part of learning; it provides countries with the opportunity to highlight what they have done well and what gaps remain to be filled in terms of animal health emergency management. This AAR manual outlines current practices for organizational learning and how they can be applied in the context of animal health emergencies. It details the steps to perform an animal health emergency AAR and leads readers through designing, preparing, conducting and reporting on an AAR. Veterinary services and competent authorities responsible for managing the response to animal health emergencies can apply the principles discussed in this manual to AARs at the country level – or in other settings such as producer organizations, multicountry regional commissions or international organizations.

The SSF Guidelines are based on internationally accepted human rights standards and are to be interpreted and implemented in accordance with those standards. Their objectives are to be met through the promotion of a human rights-based approach (HRBA). This approach seeks to ensure the participation of small-scale fishing communities in non-discriminatory, transparent and accountable decision-making processes by putting particular emphasis on the needs of vulnerable and marginalized groups and developing countries. While the HRBA has been recognized by FAO as a principle that informs the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programmes and projects,1 there is still limited experience in its practical application in the context of small-scale fisheries (SSF). It is therefore important to explore how the approach could support the implementation and monitoring of the SSF Guidelines. Accordingly, the workshop on “Exploring the human rights-based approach in the context of the implementation and monitoring of the SSF Guidelines” explored what the human rights-based approach means within the context of small-scale fisheries in general and the thematic areas covered by the SSF Guidelines in particular. It discussed what the HRBA entails in terms of the conduct of the various state and non-state actors to whom the SSF Guidelines are addressed as well as the needs of the different stakeholders in the various policy areas, with a view to developing guidance materials for the application of the HRBA in the implementation and monitoring of the SSF Guidelines.

Raises the novel legal question of animals during warfare, highlighting deficiencies in current practice and suggesting new readings and reforms.

The situation in South Sudan has proven to be unpredictable and volatile. New hotspots of violent conflict and civil unrest have continued to emerge and levels of severe acute food insecurity have become progressively worse. In addition to years of fighting and political instability, the country faces natural hazards, disease and pests, such as the desert locust, and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Collectively, these risks have had and continue to have a catastrophic impact on the lives and livelihoods of South Sudanese, the majority of whom rely on agriculture, livestock, forestry and fisheries as their main source of income. To respond to humanitarian needs, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has launched the latest iteration of its Emergency Livelihood Response Programme (ELRP) in South Sudan, which was first introduced in early 2014. The document presents the multiyear Programme for 2021–2023 and outlines how FAO aims to save lives, to enhance households' livelihoods and own food production, and to improve their resilience to future shocks. FAO revises its strategy each year to address the ever-emerging challenges facing food security and agriculture, integrate lessons learned and adapt modalities to the prevailing situation.

Animal health emergencies are evolving, but they remain among the most challenging situations a country can confront. Infectious diseases and other threats have increasing potential to spread rapidly within a country or around the world due to growing populations, concentration of animal populations and market intensification, human and animal movement, and global trade. This international GEMP Essentials guide is meant to support the advancement of key components of emergency management as countries continue efforts to work and prepare together. It sets out in a systematic way the elements required to achieve an appropriate level of preparedness and proposes an approach to animal health emergency management inclusive of all type of events, be they caused by natural phenomenon, including not infectious events, or by accidental or deliberate human action. The guide also includes the One Health approach.

This book is a comprehensive guide for veterinary and humanitarian professionals to plan emergency responses for the care and welfare of animals. It covers various topics on disasters, such as principles of disaster management, operation planning, team deployment, etc., from the perspective of saving both livestock and the livelihood of vulnerable communities. The book also discusses the importance of early warning systems, biosecurity, techniques for data collection, one health approach, climate change, and appropriate mitigation strategies. It highlights different principles, approaches, and guidelines related to the rescue, relief, and management of animals during disasters. It also contains topics on the welfare of birds and the rescue and relief of wild animals. This book includes essential veterinary and life-saving supplies required by the relief providing teams during emergencies such as disasters. The book helps administrators understand the key aspects of welfare and management of animals during disasters and enable them to draft policies focusing on humans and animals’ rescue & welfare and protection of livelihoods. It is an essential guide for veterinarians, humanitarian workers, field functionaries, farmers, disaster response forces personnel, etc., during various types of disasters and emergencies.

The current COVID-19 pandemic has expanded lay people’s vocabulary; PCR-testing is no longer mentioned only by virologists, nor are the terms basic reproduction ratio and herd-immunity limited to epidemiologists. This expansion of vocabulary that was previously only used in specialist settings already demonstrates global, societal impact. We have learnt that it is insufficient simply to act on disease emergence and spread. More focus is needed on prevention and surveillance of the precursors of emerging infectious disease, as well as early detection. To succeed in this, it is a necessity to collaborate across sectors – academics, governments, industry and the public – in a transdisciplinary way.