Invisible Allies: Donkeys promote drought resilience in pastoralist communities but are excluded from policy

Severe droughts in East Africa threaten pastoralist livelihoods, with donkeys providing vital but undervalued support in transporting water, food, and resources. This study examines policy and provision for working donkeys in Kenya and Ethiopia, countries severely affected by drought and heavily reliant on donkeys for community resilience. We narratively reviewed national and international documents relevant to donkey welfare, particularly during drought (n = 77), spanning animal health, agriculture, climate change, disaster risk management, and water. We found donkeys largely absent—only 17 policies referenced equids, mainly in economic rather than welfare terms. To explore ground realities, lived experience and barriers to successful provision of donkey welfare during drought, we conducted 41 semi-structured interviews with government officials, veterinarians, non-governmental organisation and pastoralist representatives. Stakeholders reported systemic exclusion of donkeys from veterinary curricula, health infrastructure, and drought relief efforts. Barriers to provision included the invisibility of their contributions, a lack of data on their economic value, and livestock models focused on production animals. Recommendations for future policy comprise the explicit inclusion of equids in policy definitions of livestock and corresponding inclusion in livestock and disaster risk management frameworks; ensuring eligibility for feed and veterinary support. Practical improvements could be made regarding welfare law enforcement, integrating donkeys into veterinary curricula, collecting data on their economic value and resilience contributions and prioritising drought preparedness initiatives. A One Health/Welfare approach linking human, animal, and environmental wellbeing, combined with coordinated and context-specific drought interventions, could strengthen community resilience, enhance animal welfare, and safeguard pastoralist livelihoods.