The ground crews are in “the most woeful terrains”, said Marcus Dunn, a pilot and director at Farmland Aviation. The United Nations has said £57 million is needed immediately to widen such efforts across east Africa. Somalia’s agriculture ministry on Sunday called the outbreak a national emergency and major threat to the country’s fragile food security, saying the “uncommonly large” locust swarms are consuming huge amounts of crops. The locusts also are heading toward the breadbasket of Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous country, in that nation’s worst outbreak in 25 years. “That’s a very sad situation, especially for the pastoralists” whose livelihoods rely on their cattle, Mr Tutana said.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 02, 2020 07:30 UTC