February 11, 2020

Andrew Campbell 

Recently, the swarms of locust in the Horn of Africa have put the people in danger. The invasion of the desert locusts leads to the deduction of the crop and food security issues. On February 10th, the UN addressed that the Horn of Africa is in a race against the clock due to the upcoming rain season, which could speed the explosion of the locusts. 

In accordance with the Food Security and Nutrition Working Group, east Africa is enduring a high degree of food insecurity. There are more than 19 million people facing starvation, which is the worst situation in 25 years. Somalia’s government has announced a national emergency, where the food sources and livestock are in danger.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization has called upon a $76 million proposal for handling the issues of locusts while only receiving around $20 million. António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, pointed out that Africa had the least responsibility for climate change while suffering chaos the most. He calls on the international community to step up to the plate. 

Photo:Webshot.