Along with climate shocks, conflict and acute food insecurity, the East Africa region now faces a hunger threat from desert locusts, top UN relief officials warned on Tuesday, saying action now, will avert a major food crisis later.听听
The locust upsurge is 鈥渁 graphic and shocking reminder鈥� of the region鈥檚 vulnerability, said听听from Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (); Mark Lowcock, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator; and David Beasley, Executive Director of the World Food Programme ().
鈥淭his is a scourge of biblical proportions鈥�, the statement read. 鈥淵et as ancient as this scourge is, its scale today is unprecedented in modern times鈥�.
East Africa is facing major threat from . The window of opportunity to help is still open & the math is clear: pay a little now, or pay a lot more later. is urgently asking for $138M to help governments control these devastating pests:
鈥� FAO (@FAO)
Growing plague
Although the UN agriculture agency sounded the alarm in January,听听for financial assistance to control the outbreak, resources have been too slow in coming.
Since FAO launched its first appeal to help what was at the time three affected countries, the locust swarms have moved rapidly across vast distances and as of 12 February, have been sighted in Djibouti, Eritrea, South Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania.
Each day, more countries are affected.
Last week, a swarm crossed into South Sudan, one of Africa鈥檚 most food-insecure and fragile countries. And just this week, one swarm reached the eastern boundaries of the Democratic Republic of the Congo 鈥� a country that has not seen a locust incursion since 1944.
The potential impact of locusts on a country that is still grappling with complex conflict, displacement, Ebola and measles outbreaks and food insecurity would be devastating.
Cost to combat swells
As the locusts continue their invasion throughout eastern Africa, and more details emerge on the scale of need in affected areas, the cost of action has shot up to $138 million to support Governments in controlling the ravaging pests, especially over the next four months.
The money would fund activities to combat the locusts before new swarms emerge, provide help for people whose crops or pastures are already affected and protect families and their livelihoods.
Act now to avert food crisis
Desert locusts have a reproduction cycle of three months.
In just a few weeks, as crops begin to sprout, the next generation of locusts will take wing in a renewed frenzy of destructive swarm activity, threatening to devastate East Africa鈥檚 most important crop of the year.Today, mature swarms are laying eggs within vast areas of Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, many of which are already hatching.
鈥淏ut that doesn鈥檛 have to happen鈥�, the UN leaders said. 鈥淭he window of opportunity is still open. The time to act is now鈥�.
They maintained that action to control and contain the locusts before the new swarms take flight and farmers crops first break soil is 鈥渃ritical鈥�.
At the same time, FAO needs additional resources to immediately begin boosting the resilience of affected communities so they can better withstand some inevitable shocks.
鈥淎cting now to avert a food crisis is a more humane, effective and cost-efficient approach than responding to the aftermath of disaster鈥�, the statement underscored.
They welcomed the $33 million international donor response that has been received or committed.
鈥淏ut the funding gaps are clear, and needs are growing too rapidly鈥�, they flagged. 鈥淲e need to do more鈥�.
WFP has estimated the cost of responding to the impact of locusts on food security alone to be at least 15 times higher than the cost of preventing the spread now.
It is time for the international community to act more decisively.
鈥淭he math is clear, as is our moral obligation鈥�, concluded the statement. 鈥淧ay a little now or pay a lot more later鈥�.
