Livestock being moved toward a remaining water source.

🐄 Protect livestock and livelihoods

For many families, livestock are years of savings and hard work. Protecting them during drought protects your family's future — here's how.

🛡️ Protect your core breeding animals

They are your most valuable asset for recovering after the drought. If you must sell, sell older or lower-value animals first and avoid distress-selling your breeding stock unless it is truly unavoidable.

💉 Vaccinate and deworm livestock while they are still healthy

Drought weakens animals and makes disease harder and more costly to treat later.

🚨 If your animals are sick, weak or dying, contact your local community animal health worker or veterinary service immediately - do not wait until they are in critical condition.

🗺️ Plan safe grazing routes and water access

You can do this with community leaders and pastoralist committees in advance, to agree fair sharing and avoid conflict over scarce resources.

💰 Where possible, diversify your income

Small-scale trade, community labour schemes or social protection programmes can reduce how much your family depends on livestock or crops alone. Ask local humanitarian partners about cash transfers, input vouchers or veterinary support available before drought reaches its peak.