World locust invasion update
A desert locust |
According to its latest update on
the desert locust upsurge, the current situation would be further worsened by
new breeding that will produce more locust infestations in Ethiopia, Kenya and
Somalia.
South Sudan and Uganda are at
risk and there is also concern about new swarms forming in Eritrea, Saudi
Arabia, Sudan and Yemen.
"Locust swarms have started
laying eggs and another generation of breeding will increase their
numbers," said Keith Cressman, Senior Locust Forecasting Officer, FAO. "Urgent efforts must be made to stop
them from increasing to protect the livelihoods of farmers and livestock
holders."
It’s the worst outbreak of desert
locusts seen in the region for decades.
Tens of thousands of hectares of croplands and pasture have been damaged
in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia with potentially severe consequences in a region
where 11.9 million people are already food insecure.
The potential for destruction is
enormous. A locust swarm of one square
kilometre can eat the same amount of food in one day as 35,000 people.
In Kenya, immature swarms are
moving through northern and central areas and have so far invaded 13 counties.
Some swarms have started to lay eggs that will hatch in early February and new
swarms are expected to form in early April.
Swarms are present in eastern
areas of Ethiopia and continue to move south and into the Rift Valley with a
new generation expected to cause more damage. In Somalia, swarms are present
and breeding in the north-east as well as in the south near the Kenyan border.
As numbers continue to rise there
is now serious concern that South Sudan and Uganda are under threat because
some of the swarms in Kenya are only 200 kilometres from the country's borders
with its neighbours.
FAO is already working closely
with governments and partners, supporting control operations and initiating
efforts to safeguard livelihoods and assist in the longer-term recovery of
those affected.
However, intensive ground and
aerial control operations need to be urgently scaled up to detect and reduce
the locust numbers before they spread any further.
FAO requires $70m to support
rapid control operations and measures to protect livelihoods and prevent a
deterioration of the food security situation.
On Thursday (today), FAO will give
donors an informal briefing at its Rome headquarters on the gravity of the
desert locust outbreak, particularly in the Horn of Africa, as well as the
ongoing response at the country and regional level.
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