UPSURGE ENDS IN THE HORN OF AFRICA

The current Desert Locust upsurge has finally ended in the Horn of Africa after more than two years of intensive survey and control operations carried out by ground and air with generous support from the international community.

For nearly the second consecutive month, no significant locust infestations have been detected in Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya during February. Although rain has not fallen recently and ecological conditions are dry, small groups of immature adults were seen moving southwards in eastern Ethiopia, which suggests that a few residual infestations may still be present. Therefore, surveys and vigilance should be maintained.

This year’s winter breeding along both sides of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden has been very poor due to a lack of rainfall. Consequently, only low numbers of adults were present on the coast of Egypt and Sudan. Ground teams treated small groups of hoppers and adults in southeast Egypt, and isolated breeding occurred on the southern coast in Sudan.

Elsewhere, isolated adults were present in southern Algeria and northern Oman.

During March and April, low numbers of adults may appear in the spring breeding areas in Morocco, Algeria, the interior of the Arabian Peninsula, southeast Iran, and southwest Pakistan where poor rains are expected to limit breeding this year.

Consequently, the situation is expected to remain calm in the coming months.

For more information:
website link:
http://desertlocust-crc.org/Pages/Bulletin.aspx?DomainId=58&lang=EN&DId=0&I=0&CId=0&CMSId=800347
pdf link:
http://desertlocust-crc.org/Download.ashx?File=App_Uploads/Bulletins/Files/220308025817DL521e.pdf