The Food Security and Nutrition Working Group (FSNWB) has
issued a warning to East African region concerning desert locust outbreak,
which poses a threat to food security.
I a press statement, FSNWG said this is the best time for
infested countries to act to avoid further spread, especially in the next
cropping season.
“The current Desert Locust situation poses a serious threat
to food security and livelihoods. Large and numerous swarms continue to destroy
crops and pastures across parts of Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya,” read the
statement in part.
Locust breeding and movements are taking place also in
Djibouti, Eritrea and Sudan. There is a high risk that swarms could appear in
northeast Uganda, southeast South Sudan and southwest Ethiopia.
The high risk of further spread in the East Africa region
necessitates an immediate and significant intensification of control
activities.
This is the worst Desert Locust situation in 25 years for
most of the affected countries – for Kenya, in 70 years, according to the Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Unusual weather and climate conditions have contributed to
the spread, including heavy and widespread rains since October 2019. A further
increase in locust swarms is likely to continue until June due to the
continuation of favourable ecological conditions for Desert Locust breeding.
According to the Food Security and Nutrition Working Group
(FSNWG) most recent update, the East Africa region is already experiencing a
high degree of food insecurity, with over 19 million people coping with Crisis
(IPC Phase 3) or higher levels of hunger.
Under a worst-case scenario, where the current locust upsurge
is not quickly contained and becomes a plague by the next main cropping season,
significant crop and pasture losses would cause food security in affected areas
to worsen further.
Outbreak update
In Kenya, immature and maturing swarms continue to arrive in
the northeast from Ethiopia and Somalia and are moving throughout northern
areas in Mandera, Wajir and Marsabit counties and have reached central areas of
Isiolo, Meru North and northern Laikipia.
Some swarms in the north have moved back into southern
Ethiopia while others are now mature and laying eggs that will hatch after
about two weeks, giving rise to hopper bands in February and March.
Today, a swarm reached the southern Rift Valley near Kapedo
on the border of Baringo and Turkana counties.
Immature swarms were also spotted in Mwingi, Kitui County.
Aerial and ground control operations are in progress in some areas. Further
movements are expected, especially in Turkana and Marsabit counties.
In Ethiopia, ground and aerial control operations continue
against immature swarms in Somali and South Oromiya regions. Some swarms are
maturing while others are moving south and west into the southern parts of the
country.
At least one swarm has reached the edge of the Rift Valley
in Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR). Some 6 000 ha
were treated by air so far this month.
In Somalia, control operations are in progress in the
northeast (Puntland) while maturing swarms continued to move southwards in
central and southern areas.
Some swarms been traced laying eggs in the south adjacent to
northeast Kenya. Survey and control operations are limited by insecurity.
In South Sudan, there remains a high risk of a few swarms
appearing at any time in the southeast (Kapoeta East and Ilemi Triangle) coming
from adjacent areas of NW Kenya, flying north through the Rift Valley or
northwest from Marsabit county.
They may transit through the area to the Rift Valley in
southwest Ethiopia.
In Uganda, there remains a moderate risk of a few swarms
appearing at any time in the northeast from adjacent areas of NW Kenya until
about the end of January.
David Phiri, FAO Sub Regional Coordinator for Eastern Africa
and Representative to the African Union and the United Nations Economic
Commission for Africa warns that, “We must act immediately and at scale to combat
and contain this invasion. As the rains start in March there will be a new wave
of locust breeding. Now is therefore the best time to control the swarms and
safeguard people’s livelihoods and food security, and avert further worsening
of the food crisis”.
The Governor of Mandera County in Kenya H. E. Ali Roba issued
a press statement via the Mandera Media Agency on the 8th of January 2020 calling
for the support from the national government.
“Unfortunately counties are ill prepared technically,
financially and we lack the capacity and expertise to handle such disastrous invasion
by locusts.”
“The Desert Locust outbreak was clearly worsened by the
unusually heavy rains experienced in the region. This has been a year of
extremes and climate anomalies for East Africa, a region that hosts some of the
most vulnerable populations of the world. 2019 brought us unusual cyclonic
activity – 8 cyclones, the highest number in a single year since 1976, forming
over the northern Indian Ocean -, droughts, floods and a desert locust
outbreak. Our Climate is changing and it is already leading to hundreds of
casualties and affecting the livelihoods of millions of people in our region,”
says Guleid Artan, Director of IGAD’s Climate Predictions and Applications
Center.
Ms. Gemma Connell, Head of OCHA’s Regional Office for
Southern and Eastern Africa said that, “Urgent action is required to halt
the spread of this devastating infestation and avert a worst-case scenario.”
The Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mr. Mark Lowcock, released
US$10 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to enable a massive and
rapid scale-up in air and ground control operations to reduce locust numbers.
However, much more is needed, and we call upon the international
community to respond generously at this time of critical need. Inaction today
will cost lives and livelihoods tomorrow.
Key Facts about
Locust Outbreak
According to FAO, this is the worst situation in 25 years
for most countries and the worst situation in 70 years for Kenya
The Desert Locust is a serious threat to the food security
of East Africa; currently threatening rural
livelihoods, especially in Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti,
Eritrea, Sudan and Kenya.
The East Africa region already faces high levels of food
insecurity, with over 19 million people in Crisis (IPC Phase 3) and above.
The risk of spread to South Sudan and Uganda is very high
given the currently limited control activities in some countries, and the high
mobility and reproductive potential of the Locust.
Ground surveillance activities for early detection must be
increased.
Radio and other channels should be used to disseminate and
educate citizens, including how to report infestations.
Countries must intensify efforts to control the outbreak.
Given the scale of the infestations, the only effective control measure will be
upscale aerial controls (spraying of proper pesticide on swarms). This will
require sourcing of additional equipment (planes, ground vehicles, sprayers,
pesticide) and personnel in order to upscale the campaign.
Under a worst-case scenario where the Desert Locust upsurge
is not quickly contained and becomes a plague by the next main cropping season,
significant crop and pasture losses will worsen food security in affected
areas.
It is therefore, important to begin implementing measures
now to protect people’s livelihoods and prevent a future food crisis,
including: animal health campaigns, providing feed to keep livestock healthy
where forage has been destroyed, as well as providing farming packages so affected
households can replant following any losses.
The Food Security and Nutrition Working Group (FSNWG) is a
regional platform, currently co-chaired by IGAD and FAO.
It’s goal is twofold; providing an up-to-date food security
and nutrition situation analysis (early warning) and offering a forum to build
consensus on critical issues facing policy and interventions.
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