Dense clouds of the ravenous insects have spread from Ethiopia and Somalia into Kenya, in the region's worse infestation in decades.
If unchecked, locust numbers could grow 500 times by June, spreading to Uganda and South Sudan, and devastating crops and pasture in a region which is already one of the poorest and most vulnerable in the world. This was due to a warmer western Indian Ocean, a climate condition known as the Indian Ocean Dipole which has conversely led to severe drought in Australia that is experiencing its own extremes: bushfires, hail and dust storms.
The massive swarms entered Kenya in December and have torn through pastureland in the north and centre of the country.While farmers were relatively lucky as their crops had already matured or been harvested by the time they arrived, herders face another heavy blow as vegetation for their animals is consumed by the voracious locusts.
As thick clouds of the insects descend on plants and blacken the sky, Kenyans have been seen shooting in the air, banging cans and racing around, waving sticks in desperation to shoo them away.According to the regional Food Security and Nutrition Working Group , East Africa is already experiencing a high degree of food insecurity, with over 19 million people experiencing acute hunger.
Stephen Njoka, director of the Desert Locust Control Organisation for Eastern Africa, which is based in Nairobi, said Kenya had five aircraft spraying pesticides on swarms, and four others conducting surveillance.
That’s the first sign that the doomsday clock is working next up the floods 😉
Can we get the Chinese over for lunch ?
End times
Frogs next.
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