FAO optimistic on locust eradication in Kenya, but not in rest of region

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Within three weeks, Kenya could be free of locusts, according to the FAO. The United Nations food and agriculture program has been coordinating the fight against this scourge since the start of the year. While Kenya is on the way to saving its crops and plant cover, the situation remains worrying in the rest of the region, especially in Ethiopia and Somalia where second generation swarms are reported.

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About five hundred billion locusts have been wiped out in East Africa since the start of the year, according to FAO, which coordinates the fight against locusts. This figure gives the scale of the disaster hitting the region.

Currently, states are grappling with the second generation of locusts - the one that comes from spring breeding - and are preparing for the arrival of a third generation.

In Kenya the fight is crowned with success, according to Cyril Ferrand, "the FAO locust mister, since the country should be rid of these pests within three weeks. However, it will be necessary to "  not relax the surveillance because the neighboring countries remain exposed and the clouds travel at terrifying speeds, sometimes up to 150 kilometers per day  ", he underlines.

Thus, Ethiopia is infested by new swarms from Yemen, but also from parts of Kenya. A new generation is expected to infest northern Somalia, western Eritrea and parts of Sudan in the coming weeks.

The FAO, which has already treated nearly six hundred thousand hectares of crops since the start of the year, will continue its operations. However, she is already warning that due to the damage caused by locusts, East Africa will experience food security problems by December.

► See also: Locust invasion in East Africa: five questions to understand

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