UK backs FAO’s campaign in fight against Desert Locusts to prevent worsening food crisis in East Africa and Yemen

23 April 2020, Rome/London – FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, said today he was heartened by the strong pledge of support the UN agency had received from the UK for its current campaign to fight Desert Locusts and efforts to avert a worsening food emergency in East Africa and Yemen.

The Director-General held online talks with Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the UK’s Secretary of State for International Development, who stressed that the UK wanted to do all it could to fight the locust outbreak and help prevent a food crisis in the region.

The Desert Locust upsurge continues to be alarming, particularly in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, where it poses an unprecedented threat to food security and livelihoods. In East Africa - South Sudan, Uganda and Djibouti - around 20 million people are experiencing acute food insecurity and a further 15 million in Yemen, which is also being affected by the pest.

According to FAO’s Locust Watch, recent rainfall will allow another generation of breeding that is expected to cause a dramatic increase in locust numbers in East Africa in the coming months. The situation is also worrying in the Islamic Republic of Iran and Yemen where new swarms are expected.

Qu said there was a “generational gap” of technical expertise in the affected countries and it was the first time that many had experienced a locust upsurge. He added that FAO was providing critical expertise and technical skills as well as training to help them build the capacity needed to fight the locusts.

He said that COVID-19 had so far not hampered FAO’s efforts and FAO’s ongoing technical support was crucial.

FAO is working closely with governments on surveillance and control, and coordinating the application of pesticides and biopesticides on the ground, with logistical support from the UN World Food Programme.

Secretary Trevelyan said taking action now against locusts would save lives in the future and that meant more, equipment and delivery capacity was needed now.

FAO recently scaled up its Desert Locust appeal to $153.2 million and so far $117.3 million has been pledged or received.

FAO is seeking the support of the UK and other donors to maintain its locust expertise now and to build the capacity of young experts for generations to come.

Qu added that support was also needed to safeguard and rebuild livelihoods in the affected countries and FAO was looking to provide quality seeds and other assistance to farmers for the upcoming cultivation season in the spirit of Hand-in-Hand co-operation.

He commended the UK’s Permanent Representative to the UN agencies, Ambassador Terri Sarch, for her strong support.

The Desert Locust is considered the most destructive migratory pest in the world and FAO estimates the number of locusts could increase another 20 times during the upcoming rainy season unless control activities are stepped up.

As COVID-19 restricts the movement of some personnel in the field, FAO is also intensifying remote data collection through a network of partners, civil society, extension workers and grassroot organizations from remote locations especially in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan.

FAO is encouraging all countries to use eLocust3, a handheld tablet and app, which records and transmits data in real time via satellite to national locust centres and to the Desert Locust Information Service (DLIS) based at FAO headquarters in Rome.