UN says desert locust situation remains 'extremely alarming' in east Africa

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Tuesday stressed that the desert locust outbreak situation has remained "extremely alarming" in the Horn of Africa (HoA), posing serious food security threat across Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya.

"The desert locust situation remains extremely alarming in the Horn of Africa, specifically Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia where widespread breeding is in progress and new swarms are expected to form in the coming weeks," the FAO said in its desert locust outbreak update issued Tuesday.

According to the FAO, the desert locust situation in Ethiopia "is similar to Kenya with widespread swarms, breeding and hatching in Somali, Oromiya and Southern regions, including the Rift Valley."

"Movements further north can be expected as well as from adjacent areas of Somalia and Kenya," the FAO warned.

In Kenya, desert locust swarms have continued to be reported in northern and central areas, where they are mostly mature and have laid eggs.

"Hatching is causing an increasing number of hopper bands to form with new swarm formation expected in the coming weeks in Kenya," the FAO said, adding that mature desert locust swarms are also present along the shores of Lake Turkana amid the continued aerial and ground control operations.

The FAO also stressed that desert locust breeding has continued in Somalia's northeastern part, where new immature swarms are expected to form in about one week or so.

It also noted that mature desert locust swarm has arrived in the northeastern Uganda from adjacent areas of western Kenya on Feb. 24.

In South Sudan, only remnants of an earlier mature swarm have been seen in the southeastern county of Magwi, while a second mature swarm was seen near the border on Feb. 23, it was noted.

The FAO, however, said that no new desert locust swarms were reported in Tanzania.