Since the global pandemic has dominated the news for many weeks, it’s easy to forget it’s not the only significance thing happening right now.
The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) warned about another situation affecting a large segment of the world’s population and which has been spreading as well. The FAO earlier stated,
“Along with climate shocks, conflict and acute food insecurity, the east Africa region now faces a hunger threat from Desert Locust. This is a scourge of biblical proportions.”
Regional Crops Devoured
Echoing the FAO, AXIOS posted a March 9, 2020, article on its site with the title, “Locust swarms put millions at risk of starvation across Africa and Asia”.
The coronavirus Covid-19 disease pandemic has exacerbated the already dire pestilence crisis. The AXIOS website refers to that in its March 30, 2020 follow-up article, “Coronavirus hampers efforts to fight locust swarms in East Africa”.
Locations Swiftly Added
The Times of Israel posted an article on March 16, 2020 titled “Plague of locusts set to descend upon the Middle East in time for Passover”.
AXIOS agreed with the Times of Israel that groups of Desert Locusts are on the move again.
“New Swarms also are forming in Yemen, and Iran … “
The Desert Locust swarms can consume as much food in one day as 35,000 people, according to FAO’s Locust Watch. So, no wonder that website calls the Desert Locust,
“the most destructive migratory pest in the world”
Photo credit: Orangebrompton, License: CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
