The 'Rocinante' program, once again in southern Lebanon

• The 'Rocinante' program to support livestock farmers and provide veterinary assistance has been running for 11 years

Veterinarians from the Universities of Cordoba and Murcia are carrying out the 'Rocinante' program in the Mohafaza region of Nabatiyeh in Lebanon. This program, coordinated by the Lebanese Brigade together with the Operations Command, aims to support livestock farmers to improve the breeding conditions and productivity of their livestock in the area of responsibility of the Spanish contingent in Lebanon.

During 12 days, and in collaboration with students of the Veterinary Faculty of the University of Beirut, a program of activities has been developed to provide veterinary assistance to the livestock and, at the same time, to contribute to the training of these students.

For the development of the activity, the representatives of the Spanish universities have formed two teams. The first was made up of Librado Carrasco Otero, coordinator of the activity, and José María Sánchez Carvajal, both from the University of Córdoba, and Juan Seva Alcaraz and Francisco José Pallarés Martínez, from the University of Murcia. The second team was formed by Antonio José Rouco Yáñez and Rafael Arana Sánchez, from the University of Murcia, and by Carmen Álvarez Delgado and Inés Ruedas Torres, from the University of Córdoba. With this organization, the teams have assisted more than 1,000 animals in more than 255 farms in 30 villages belonging to the Spanish area of responsibility in Lebanon.

During the development of the program, several common diseases in the area have been identified, so that, in addition to direct assistance, as part of the donations made by various Spanish collaborating entities, medicines and doses of vaccines have been delivered to attend to the more than 20,000 head of cattle that make up the herds that have been attended to.

'Rocinante' Program

The 'Rocinante' Program is aimed at improving the health and living conditions of livestock in the sector led by the Spanish Brigade in Lebanon. This collaboration began in 2011 on the initiative of Professor Carrasco, currently a volunteer reservist lieutenant, and is regulated by the signing of an agreement between the Ministry of Defense and the Conference of Deans of Veterinary Faculties of Spain. Since 2019, students from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Beirut have been participating. In 2020 'Veterindustria', a business association of the animal health and nutrition industry in Spain, joined the agreement.

With these collaboration projects, Spain actively contributes to the development and progress of Lebanon, with its deployed military, but also with the support of the Spanish society. Spain is a reliable country committed to peace in the Middle East and security in the Mediterranean area through UN Resolution 1701.