East Africa Locust Plague. (Source: Associated Press)
The worst locust plague in 25 years is spreading in East Africa, posing an unprecedented threat to food security in Kenya, Ethiopia and other countries.
According to ABC News on the 17th, in some countries in East Africa, locust swarms hang on the horizon like flashing dark clouds. These locusts were about the length of a finger, and millions of them gathered to fly, devouring crops frantically.
In a statement issued by the Kenyan government, Kenyan locusts are "extremely dangerously increasing," and in the northeast of the country, a locust swarm alone is 60 kilometers long and 40 kilometers wide.
East Africa Locust Plague. (Source: Associated Press)
"A desert locust swarm can hold up to 150 million locusts per square kilometer. The locust swarm moves with the wind and can cover 100 to 150 kilometers a day. An average locust swarm can destroy enough food to feed 2,500 people in a day." The statement states.
It is reported that desert locusts are considered the most dangerous locust species, and outbreaks of such locusts have also affected parts of Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Djibouti and Eritrea.
The East African Intergovernmental Development Organization warns that parts of South Sudan and Uganda may be the next outbreaks of locust plagues. "Severe severe floods have occurred in some areas in recent weeks. Further increases may continue into June. "
East Africa Locust Plague. (Source: Associated Press)
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations states that the locust plague has sharply worsened the region's already poor food security situation, destroying more than 100,000 hectares of crops. The consequences of the locust outbreak could be devastating. "A large drought between 2003 and 2005 caused more than 500 million US dollars in harvest losses in 20 countries in North Africa."
To help prevent and control the outbreak, authorities have stored large amounts of pesticides and sprayed them in the air. The Ethiopian government has also deployed four small aircraft to help fight locust invasion.
But in recent days, an initiative by the Kenyan government has backfired. The Minister of Agriculture has asked people to post pictures of suspected locusts on social media, but a series of ridiculous species have appeared, including colobus monkeys, cats, lizards and other beasts, and people have asked for their identification. This appeal also had to end here. (Text / six cylinders)