‘Black skies’ in East Africa as millions of locusts swarm farmlands
The worst locust plague in decades continues to devastate farmlands in sections of Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia – exacerbating food security concerns for more than 11 million people in East Africa.
It’s a plague of Biblical proportions, BUZZ fam!
Hundreds of millions of desert locusts
flying from Yemen, encouraged by heavy rains in late 2019, made the trip across
the Red Sea; hitting Ethiopia and Somalia first with their worst locust swarms
in 25 years.
According to the BBC, some farmers in Ethiopia’s Amhara region lost 100 percent of their crops, and a swarm forced an Ethiopian passenger plane off course in December.
The locusts have sparked a new concern, as the insects seem to be feeding and spreading faster that local authorities can get their numbers down.
Cowpeas, corn and sorghum crops have been particularly devastated by the locusts.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
warns that when rains arrive in March and bring new vegetation across much of
the region, the numbers of the fast-breeding locusts could grow 500 times
before drier weather in June curbs their spread.
Over 11 million people in Kenya, Ethiopia & Somalia already suffer from acute food insecurity. — FAO (@FAO)
Over 11 million people in Kenya, Ethiopia & Somalia already suffer from acute food insecurity. — FAO (@FAO) #Locusts are threatening to make it a lot worse.It is critical that we anticipate potential deterioration.— @FAO @dburgeon is on the ground in Lengusaka, Kenya@FAOemergencies pic.twitter.com/2SvbTdX0NVJanuary 24, 2020
Climate change is being linked to the exponential influx of locusts, as unusually heavy rainfall and warmer temperatures become the perfect mix of conditions to spur their reproduction.
Kenya, with skies turned black, is reeling
from the locust infestation as the insects migrate south in search of food.
Already, over 70,000 hectares of farmland have been ravaged – marking Kenya’s worst
locust swarm in 70 years.
The United Nations pledged US$10 million last Wednesday to combat the locust crisis, however, more than US$70 million is needed to effectively control the ongoing infestation.
To date, aerial sprays over the clouds of locusts are the only combat measures at the region’s disposal but — as a small swarm of the insects can consume enough food for 35,000 people in a single day — time may be running out.
