After the turbulence that has followed since the Taliban were handed back the power over Afghanistan on the 15th August 2021, the Nowzad charity has worked extremely hard to re-establish our operations in Kabul.
We are extremely proud of our staff who stayed behind and have continued through what has been an absolutely hellish transition period. They have looked after our donkeys and horses (plus David the cow and Jaja the goat) whilst we planned how to restart.
Many times, the Taliban have knocked on the doors of the Nowzad clinic and house, demanding to search through the whole property, as they have done to every house across Afghanistan to look for resistance. Sadly, some equipment and our Nowzad vehicle was confiscated. Not to forget the stress this has put our remaining staff under. Yet their passion to keep working for animal welfare in Afghanistan is stronger than ever! These are just hurdles to overcome, which we will.
We are truly happy to report that our Afghan ground team, headed up by the extremely brave Dr Reshad, have reopened the Nowzad clinic and our first clients were very quickly coming through the door.
We have had a steady stream of working animal clients, particularly over worked donkeys struggling with wounds from ill fitting saddles or lack of sustainable daily nutrition. This is sadly the consequence of a desperate daily struggle for the whole population of Afghanistan, as most humanitarian aid money that the country relied on has been stopped from reaching those who desperately need it, due to wide ranging sanctions imposed by the US government on the Taliban regime. Whilst we do not sympathise with their regime, the victims of these sanctions are mostly the poorest people and their animals.
On World Spay day this year, Dr Reshad’s team collected in 22 stray cats and neutered and spayed them all before administering rabies vaccinations and then returning them to where they were collected from.
Like you, we say a huge congratulations to the team for a job well done, when even everyday life is now a complete struggle.
The Kabul team have also taken in several injured street dogs – brought to us by concerned local people who never looked the other way. One happy rescuer even returning with flowers to thank the team for treating the dog he had brought to us.
Sadly, all TNVR programs did close when the Taliban retook Afghanistan and we are still seeking permission to re-start our local program. The team were called out recently to deal with a dog suffering from rabies, which involved us collecting the dog (considering the danger that presents) along with delivering a poster campaign to warn local residents to be on the look out. We also notify medical practitioners to be on the lookout should anyone in the area present symptoms of being bitten by a street dog.
Last year we fundraised for the Creamy Legacy quarantine and isolation kennels, named after the young pup suffering from Leishmaniasis that Pen found wandering the Kabul streets that sadly was also discovered to have rabies. Your super generous donations provided the vital funds for us to build the much-needed extension to our isolation and quarantine kennels.
We opened the new building just three days before the Taliban regained control, so sadly they have never been used.
But now Nowzad is once more starting, small but strong, in Kabul. The progress we are achieving in Kabul every day, even though it is with baby steps, will ensure that the clinic will be filled with animals in need of care and treatment once again. We will fulfil our promise to you of initiating the Creamy legacy kennels to treat more animals.
Your donation will be the difference for desperate animals in Afghanistan that now have a chance as our clinic begins again. Thank you.