KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has reported a severe outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease among livestock in Afghanistan.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, FAO warned that millions of cattle, sheep, and goats are at risk as the virus spreads rapidly.
“The virus spreads fast, and herders are losing their livelihoods,” the organization stated.
FAO cited several key factors fueling the outbreak, including open borders, frequent livestock movement, climate change, limited vaccination coverage, weak veterinary services, and local tensions.
The organization noted that it vaccinated 800,000 cattle in 2024 and is now ramping up its response. FAO said it is working closely with field veterinarians and local communities to contain the disease.
However, the agency has not yet provided data on the number of infected animals or the scale of losses.
