Desert locust crisis | Appeal for rapid response and anticipatory action in the Greater Horn of Africa
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The worst desert locust outbreak in decades is underway in the Greater Horn of Africa, where tens of thousands of hectares of cropland and pasture have been damaged in Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania, with potentially severe consequences for agriculture-based livelihoods in contexts where food security is already fragile. Highly mobile and capable of stripping an area’s vegetation, even a very small locust swarm can eat the same amount of food in one day as about 35 000 people. Intensive ground and aerial control operations are urgently needed (in addition to diligent surveillance) in order to detect and reduce locust populations, prevent more swarms from forming and avoid the spread to more countries. If swarms continue unhindered, this will have serious implications on crop production in the upcoming main season across the entire region. Efforts must also be made to protect the livelihoods of farmers and livestock holders – ensuring they have the inputs they need to restart production and have access to much-needed cash to meet their immediate food needs. FAO urgently requires USD 138 million to support rapid control actions and take measures to prevent a deterioration in the food security situation and safeguard livelihoods.