January 16, 2020

Andrew Campbell 

Joseph Mithika Mwenda, co-founder and secretary of the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), has urged African governments to fight the locust invasion to avert food security crisis on the continent. In addition, Mr. Mwenda warned African governments should not take desert locust invasion lightly. Besides, the PACJA Executive Director had written an article published in Modern Ghana on January 15 to alert African governments from massive agricultural damages due to desert locust invasion. The episode deteriorates as on January 13, the desert locust invasion reportedly spread to Laikipia and Meru counties of Kenya, bringing to 8 regions destroyed, which had earlier ruined crops and pasture across Garissa, Isiolo, Mandera, Marsabit, Samburu, and Wajir.

Origins of the current outbreak, according to the report from the agency of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, occurred along the Red Sea coast after two cyclones brought heavy rains to the Empty Quarter on the Arabian Peninsula in May and October of 2018. The heavy rains gave ideal breeding environments for at least three generations of the desert locusts. The disaster continued as the desert locusts spread out from Saudi Arabia, Iran to Indo-Pakistan and from Yemen to Somalia and Ethiopia during June and December of 2019.

The National Geographic reported locust swarms are present in 60 countries across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. It has covered one-fifth of Earth's surface. The African continent is facing its worst locust invasion in time of climate change. Scientists are afraid that locusts could quickly destroy huge farmlands and cause serious food crisis in starvation to people.

Photo:Webshot.