The Silent Victims of War: How the Animals in Gaza Are Affected by the Conflict and What You Can Do to Help
You have more power than you think
The sentiments of war are inescapable lately.
Protests on the street, atrocities in the news, and battles over social media all seem to highlight human conflict or suffering in some way. And yet — though suffering in equal or greater measure — there is very little to hear about the other lives caught in the crossfire. The silent victims of war: the animals.
The impact of war on pets is one of the most heartbreaking consequences of human conflict — and one that cannot be overstated.
Strays, livestock, and wildlife are equally affected, experiencing many of the same struggles and tragedies experienced by human civilians. In the current region of Gaza, however, the plight of animals is particularly severe. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed and powerless in situations like this, but if you look closely enough, there’s always a small you can make a difference.
Let’s take a look at the impact the war in Gaza is currently having on pets, and what you can do to help.
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Caught in the crossfire
In Gaza, the scarcity of resources is perhaps the most critical issue — affecting humans and animals alike.
The targeted destruction of agriculture and waterways has left civilians without access to adequate food and water. According to a report recently released by the UN, 1 in 4 people in Gaza are currently starving. This, in turn, leaves them without adequate food or water for their pets.
Where stray animals were once able to survive scavenging on the street, there are now no scraps for them to scavenge.
The risk of displacement is also quite severe — whether in their homes, on the streets, or confined in shelters, every companion animal in Gaza is at risk. In 2018, the census estimated that there [were] around 1.5 million pets in the Gaza Strip, and today, 80-85% of the human population of Gaza has been displaced. This means at least 80% of the remaining pet population has been displaced as well — either with their families or on their own.
Though many try to bring their pets along, many still are left behind.
The destruction of their homes and loss of family members has left many pets to fend for themselves — without shelter, exposed to the elements, and competing with an already significant stray population for whatever limited resources remain. The lack of adequate shelter, nutrition, and sanitation predisposes animals to illness. Sadly, pets also share the risk of trauma or injury from gunfire, explosions, and bombings.
For those that survive the initial injury, the lack of veterinary care and the sequestration of medical supplies for human use leaves no option for treatment.
Stray and displaced animals are especially vulnerable during war, as they lack the protection of homes and families. However, the level of displacement and destruction in Gaza has left all companion animals, regardless of their situation, at extreme risk of illness and injury.
The toll of the war on the mental wellbeing of pets is also not to be understated.
Pets in Gaza have sustained a disruption in their routines, the loss of their homes and family members, dehydration and starvation, endless explosions and other sounds of war, as well as physical injury. For those animals that are fortunate to make it through the war, the mental health implications of the war are expected to be significant and long-lasting. To the author’s knowledge, the Sulala Animal Rescue remains the sole organization on the ground providing emergency relief to companion animals afflicted by the war in Gaza.
Though severe, companion animals haven’t even experienced the worst of it — the war has wrought absolute devastation to landscape and agriculture in Gaza.
Horses and livestock have experienced significant illness, injury, and displacement. But the attack on farmland and agriculture has presented an even greater barrier to survival — an absolute lack of feed and fresh water. This has ultimately resulted in widespread starvation of horses and livestock.
Likewise, the war has had a major impact on the animals otherwise held in captivity, such as those currently being held at the Rafah Zoo in southern Gaza.
These animals, already under stress in an unnatural habitat, are now under extreme mental and physiologic stress due to the noise, restricted confinement amongst displaced persons, and a severe lack of resources, amongst other factors.
Just as the destruction of homes and cities across Gaza has led to the displacement of people, the war has resulted in habitat loss for wildlife species (along with a general increased competition for resources).
Gaza may not be home to many native mammalian species, but it is home to a number of different reptile species, including lizards and snakes. For migratory birds traveling along the East African-West Asian Flyway, Gaza is also a critical stopover point.
Inadequate veterinary care and global response
All of the animals in Gaza — cats and dogs and mules alike — are currently without access to veterinary care.
Where prior to the war, access to quality veterinary care and resources was limited, it is now effectively nonexistent. Due to widespread destruction, the entire human healthcare system has collapsed. And where there is no human medical care, you can be sure there is no veterinary care.
The disrupted supply chain and restrictions on the level of humanitarian aid permitted through the border to Gaza has resulted in an extreme shortage of essential medical supplies and resources.
Whatever medications and supplies are able to make it through the border are primarily reserved for human use, leaving the animal shelters, clinics, zoos, and pet parents without any way to provide aid to animals in need.
Unfortunately, the circumstances of the war in Gaza (geography, location, and widespread destruction of infrastructure — to name a few) have made it difficult for animal lovers and the veterinary community to mount the emergency response necessary, but there are still small ways you can help.
How you can help:
Support Sulala Animal Rescue in their efforts to rescue and rehabilitate animals affected by the war. The rescue has partnered with Animals Australia to ensure that donations reach the rescue, one way or another.
Adopt a displaced animal. There are a number of shelters operating in the West Bank, Israel, and Egypt working to rescue to animals displaced by the war.
Contact the World Veterinary Association to ask how you can support reputable organizations and veterinary officials in Egypt in rescuing animals across the border.
Advocate for emergency aid and animal welfare. Raise awareness surrounding the impact of war on animals, advocate for immediate emergency aid, and for policies that prioritize and protect animals amidst the conflict in Gaza and beyond.
Contact your elected officials and demand a ceasefire.
Regardless of your background or political affiliation, there is one point on which we can all agree — these animals are innocent.
The war isn’t theirs to fight. And yet, they’re paying the highest price.
Take care of yourselves.
Dr. Sami