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The desert locust crisis that hit the Horn of Africa region earlier this year, threatening the food supply for millions of people, could intensify again as recent strong winds carried mature swarms from southern Somalia east and northeast of Kenya, said the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). on Tuesday.
Although some of the swarms that arrived in Kenya may have already laid eggs before their arrival, there is a risk that they will lay more eggs in sandy areas that saw recent rains, according to FAO.
“In this case, you can expect hatching and jumper band formation in early December,” the agency said.
Breeding also continues in central Somalia and eastern Ethiopia, where bands of grasshoppers (non-flying nymphal locusts) are present, and a new generation of immature swarms could begin to form in late November.
Swarming is expected to continue throughout December due to widespread hatching and banding that occurred in mid-November. Beginning in the second week of December, several waves of numerous swarms can be expected to move south into Somalia and Ethiopia, reaching northern Kenya, FAO added.
A resurgence of swarms could exacerbate food security in the region, where nearly 25 million people are already severely acutely food insecure. Desert locusts are considered the most destructive migratory pest in the world, devouring large areas of crops and grasses intended for people and livestock.
Expanding the answer
FAO is supporting the Somali authorities to scale up locust measures, focusing on high-risk areas.
“Reconnaissance and control operations, by land and by air, have been expanded and are ongoing,” said Etienne Peterschmitt, FAO Representative in Somalia.
“These resources include aircraft, vehicles, equipment, biopesticides, insect growth regulators and personnel that have been strategically positioned in various parts of the country,” he added.
In addition to measures to reduce breeding and swarming, FAO and its partners are also supporting farmers in affected areas. Supplies have been delivered and placed to help food-insecure households at risk of a locust invasion, including planting and replanting packages, supplementary feed, and integrated cash assistance and livelihood support.
Regional situation
According to FAO, response efforts are also underway in Eritrea, Sudan and southeastern Egypt, as teams continue to conduct air and ground control operations against groups of hoppers and adults.
Across the Red Sea, strong winds from the south in mid-November caused immature swarms to move from inland Yemen to southwestern Saudi Arabia, as well as inland north to Riyadh. Some of these swarms may continue further north into Iraq in the coming days until the southerly winds subside, the FAO said.
(With contributions from the Food and Agriculture Organization)
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