Thousands of farmlands in Somalia at risk as desert locust wreak havoc-FAO
Wednesday December 18, 2019
MOGADISHU (HOL)- The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has warned thousands of hectares of land in Somalia are on the brink of a desert locust attack worsening an ongoing food crisis in the Horn of African nation.
Over the next six months, FAO said, more than 100,000 hectares of land will require direct control intervention in Somalia.
There is need for immediate institutional, infrastructural and technical investments for larger scale actions in 2020 and beyond. FAO is appealing for $3 million for immediate response.
The situation is far worse than anticipated and it has been exacerbated by exceptionally high rainfall and cyclone Pawan. If left unattended, Desert Locust will likely spread to the main crop growing areas in southern Somalia, northeastern Kenya, Eritrea and Djibouti, FAO said.
So far, the locust infestations have been confined to rangeland and grasslands areas in Somaliland and Puntland.
However, once adults form immature swarms, there is a greater possibility that some swarms will migrate south towards the Ethiopian border area with southern Somalia (Jubaland, South West and Hirshabelle Federal Members States) while other swarms will remain in place, mature and lay eggs for another generation of breeding, according to FAO.
Thousands of farmlands in Somalia at risk as desert locust wreak havoc-FAO
In a statement released Wednesday, FAO said the locust invasion which is the worst in 25 years could destroy harvests in Somalia while the impact could be spread into next year as the locusts are now breeding in Somaliland, Mudug in Galmudug state an