FAO Warns of a Second Desert Locust Plague in Africa

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned on Wednesday that "a new generation" of desert locust swarms is jeopardizing the food security of millions of people in the Horn of Africa and Yemen.

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Somalia: FAO Issues Alert Over Desert Locust's New Wave

The FAO explains that "favorable weather conditions and widespread seasonal rains have caused extensive breeding in eastern Ethiopia and Somalia" while Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Yemen are preparing for a re-invasion as new swarms are forming.

"We must not waver. Locusts keep growing day and night and risks are exacerbating food insecurity for vulnerable families across the affected region," the Director-General of FAO, Qu Dongyu, remarked.

Moreover, the cyclone Gati sped up the plague as a result of the floods in Northern Somalia, which "will increase in the coming months." FAO's authorities highlight that "control operations have prevented the loss of an estimated 2.7 million tonnes of cereal, worth nearly $800 million, in countries already hard hit by acute food insecurity and poverty." This is enough to feed 18 million people per year, according to its estimations.