Desert locust swarm remains extremely alarming in the Horn of Africa, specifically Kenya,Ethiopia and Somalia, FAO said in a statement said on Tuesday.
FAO said the desert locust swarm will threaten food security and cause critical economic crisis in east African countries unless put under control as soon as possible.
FAO pledged to provide 220,000 liters of anti desert locust to Ethiopia where widespread breeding is in progress and new swarms are starting to form, representing an unprecedented threat to food security and livelihoods at the beginning of the upcoming cropping season.
According to FAO widespread swarm breeding continues in northern and central counties of Kenya where an increasing number of hopper bands are forming and, in the past few days, the new generation of immature swarm has started to form.
This may be supplemented by new-generation immature swarms arriving from Somalia. Further concentration is expected in Marsabit and Turkana. Aerial and ground control operations continue.
Swarms continue to mature and breed over a widespread area of Oromiya and SNNPR regions, including the Rift Valley of Ethiopia. “Cross-border movements continued to be reported from adjacent areas of Somalia and Kenya, the statement noted .
In the northwest, new hopper bands and immature adult groups are forming between Berbera and Burao towns of Somalia . In the northeast, new immature swarms are forming near Garowe. Some swarms may be moving south towards to Kenya, the statement added.
MG/abj/APA