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The Horn of Africa is experiencing the worst outbreak of Desert Locust in decades. International support is urgently needed to help the affected countries scale up control operations to prevent
a potential humanitarian crisis.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) will hold a special briefing in New York on February 10 on the current
situation and appeal for urgent support of US$76 million to the region.
The event will be chaired by
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, with the participation through a recorded video message of FAO Director-General QU Dongyu. FAO and OCHA experts will be available to provide the latest information
on the emergency situation.
The event will be webcast on webtv.un.org. USG/ERC Lowcock and FAO experts will also speak at the daily noon briefing of the Spokesperson of the Secretary-General.
Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are so far the worst affected countries and tens of thousands of hectares of croplands and pasture have already been damaged. Djibouti and Eritrea are also infested.
FAO’s Desert Locust Information Service warns the situation is likely to deteriorate as a new generation of locusts will emerge between now and June. South Sudan and Uganda are at risk and there
is concern about new swarms in Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen.
The potential for destruction is enormous. A locust swarm covering one square kilometre can eat the same amount of food in one day as about 35 000 people. One swarm the size
of New York City can consume the same amount of food in one day as everyone in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York state.
If above-average rains continue and control operations are not adequate, a Desert Locust plague could develop in East Africa before the end of 2020. This would have serious implications on crop
production and pasture across the entire region, which would further jeopardize food security in a context where millions of people are already in severe acute food insecurity.
With OCHA’s support, FAO is working closely with national and local governments and partners, supporting surveillance and control operations and initiating efforts to safeguard livelihoods and
assist in the longer-term recovery of those affected.
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