The long-horned cow, known in its native Africa as the Ankole-Watusi or Ankole, is a bovine mammal. The cow is famous for its huge antlers: its distinctive horns distinguish it at a glance from other similar African breeds.

 

South Sudan is the world’s youngest country, formed in 2011 after separating from Sudan. It is also one of the poorest countries in the world. It has suffered several wars throughout its history. Its economy and low-value currency are unstable and its trade agreements are shortlived. In this context, long-horned cows play an important role. Omnipresent at weddings and ceremonies, they are used to pay a dowry or to barter, they are a symbol of status and wealth. The population considers cows as a safe reserve of value and prefers them to other methods of exchange.

 

Currency is devalued, but the value of a cow remains constant. Moreover, many children depend on their milk as a source of nutrition. South Sudanese people are very conscious of the fact that a healthy livestock is a guaranty of good livelihood for the community. Working to keep animals healthy, the ICRC provides veterinarian courses to improve the health of cows through the dissemination of vaccination practices and treatments for various diseases.

 

In South Sudan, keeping livestock alive and healthy is crucial, as the majority of the population relies heavily on cows, sheep and goats for their livelihoods. The ICRC helps to protect animals from disease and builds the resilience of communities affected by armed conflict.

 

In relation to climate change, the rises of the Nile and the seasonal rains have become increasingly violent and unpredictable, resulting in floods alternating with long periods of drought. The impact on people and livestock is devastating, displacing entire villages with their herds of cows and people losing their homes, crops and pasture in the flight. These large internal displacements in turn create problems and tensions in a country where there is already little viable and fertile land. In addition, the advance of the desert from the north, another phenomenon linked to climate change, takes away more land, leaving cows, herders and farmers with fewer and fewer space to live.