Plague of Locusts Persists

 These bugs have been in the news for almost a year now!  Clouds of locusts so thick they blot out the sun and destroy everything green in their path.  “There will be famine”.

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Somalia has announced a state of emergency on Wednesday, February 4, 2021, as the nation battles a new generation of desert locust swarms that have already caused major damage to farmlands. Meanwhile, infestations are ongoing in Saudi Arabia, posing risks that any locusts that escape control could form adult groups that would likely move inland.

Somalia is facing humanitarian needs never witnessed before as the country is battling locusts, as well as flooding and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) initially warned that the fleet of anti-locust aircraft in Kenya and Somalia could be grounded as the funding fell short of 38 million dollars. 

The intensity of the locust outbreak over the East African region has been blamed on climate change. The state of emergency declared in Somalia is in effect particularly in the southern areas.

In a statement, FAO said, "rains and winds are two of the most favorable conditions for desert locusts to multiply rapidly and spread to areas where they had been under control."

https://watchers.news/2021/02/05/somalia-declares-state-of-emergency-over-new-locust-invasion-infestation-persists-in-saudi-arabia/