Humanitarian crisis hits a vital lifeline in Gaza – donkeys

The animals have become the main mode of transportation in the Strip, carrying supplies and assisting with evacuations

Gaza’s humanitarian crisis has grown so severe that donkeys have become the main mode of transport and even they are suffering from malnutrition and dehydration, a charity has said.
With much of the coastal enclave reduced to rubble after months of Israeli bombardment, and with fuel now in extremely short supply, donkeys and horses are a critical lifeline.
Dr Saif Alden, head of the mobile vet team for Safe Haven for Donkeys in Gaza, a British veterinary NGO providing care to the animals in Gaza, said they were now being used to carry out evacuations and even replacing ambulances.
Earlier this month, Dr Alden received a call from a friend late at night who said his wife had gone into labour and was trapped in an area under bombardment.
Dr Alden called another friend in the area whose donkey he had treated two months before. They transported the woman to hospital in just 20 minutes, where she gave birth to twins.
“It was a donkey that saved her and her babies’ lives,” he told The Telegraph.
Nearly 11 months of heavy fighting has created more than 42 million tonnes of debris that now blankets the streets of Gaza, according to the United Nations (UN).
The damage is so bad that large swathes of the territory are inaccessible to cars and other motor vehicles and, even if they could navigate the ruins, fuel prices have soared.
“Fuel is currently very rare in Gaza, and very very expensive,” said Dr Alden. “Before the war a litre was around $1.5 to $2, now it is around $30 to $40 and it is very hard to find.”
A severe lack of aid has weighed heavily on Gazans since Israel tightened its blockade of the strip in the aftermath of the Hamas attack on October 7.
Even Gaza’s donkeys and horses are now suffering from shortages of food and water, said Dr Saif.
“The vast majority of donkeys have half a meal every day or two,” he said. “Many have no food at all. They starve to death.”
Since April, the charity has treated some 800 donkeys and horses, including many that have suffered shrapnel wounds.
Donkeys are also suffering injuries to their skin and bones, including hoof issues, parasitic infections and bruised sole – one of the most common causes of lameness in horses.
But Dr Saif’s team has been forced to buy medicines on the black market at massively inflated prices.
“We have very basic provisions and are running on an emergency basis,” said Dr Alden. “There is no other option – either we buy, or donkeys and horses suffer and die before our eyes.”
He added that the charity was still waiting for a shipment of veterinary medicines that is still stuck on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border.
It is not the first time that donkeys have been caught up in a major conflict.
Throughout both world wars, they transported food and arms to men in the trenches. Their sure-footedness and ability to navigate areas with rough terrain or limited infrastructure has rendered them invaluable in hard to reach areas.
“Their resilience and adaptability can often mean the difference between life and death in emergencies where rapid access to care is essential,” said Dr Alden.
“If we didn’t have donkeys, how would it be possible for us to live? To transfer the injured to hospitals? To bring water?” said Dr Alden. “We live in exceptionally difficult circumstances, but in this case, donkeys are our hope.”
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