Small Ruminant Plague (PPR) Spreads Amid Drought; UN Warns of Livelihood Collapse Without Sustained Aid
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN: The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has sounded a high-level alarm over the rapid spread of a devastating livestock disease, Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), which threatens more than 21 million sheep and goats across Afghanistan. The highly contagious virus, commonly known as small ruminant plague, poses a critical risk to the nation’s fragile food security.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the FAO warned that if the virus is left unchecked, it could decimate rural livelihoods already under immense strain from recurrent drought, loss of pasture, and limited veterinary support.