Greater Horn of Africa continues to be threatened by desert locusts

A man beats a bush with a stick to show desert locusts swarming near Fada, Chad. FAO/Carl de Souza

Desert locusts continue to pose a major threat to food security and livelihoods in the Greater Horn of Africa as more swarms form and mature in northern and central Kenya, southern Ethiopia and probably in Somalia, coinciding with the beginning of the long rains and the planting season.

In May, the eggs will hatch into hopper bands that will form new swarms in late June and July, when the harvest starts. Recent heavy rains are also likely to enable a new generation of breeding throughout Somalia, in northern Kenya and in southern Ethiopia, leading to an exponential increase in the desert locust population.