Animals are among the most vulnerable casualties of armed conflict. Understanding the scale of animal suffering in conflict zones and the organisations working to address it is an important part of the global welfare picture.
Conflict zone animal welfare is an underprioritised area that requires emergency response capacity, long-term rehabilitation support and policy advocacy to integrate animal welfare into humanitarian planning frameworks. Animals cannot evacuate themselves, cannot communicate their needs and are not covered by the humanitarian frameworks that protect human populations in conflict. Emergency organisations that respond to animal needs in conflict zones operate under extraordinary conditions and save lives that would otherwise be lost. Integrating animal welfare into conflict preparedness and humanitarian response frameworks is a growing advocacy priority.