Desert Locust situation update 15 July 2021

SWARMS CONTINUE IN NORTHEAST ETHIOPIA

OVERVIEW. Important Desert Locust infestations persist in the Horn of Africa where intensive aerial control operations are continuing against immature swarms in northwest Somalia and, to a lesser extent, in northeast Ethiopia where a few swarms are present along the eastern escarpment of the northern highlands in eastern Amhara and western Afar regions. Light rains have fallen in northwest Somalia and northeast Afar. Low numbers of swarms from northwest Somalia and perhaps Yemen are expected to appear in Afar during the coming week. A few of these swarms may move into the northern highlands where they should continue to the summer breeding areas in the interior of Sudan.

WHY IT MATTERS. Effective survey and control operations in northern Somalia and eastern Ethiopia are key in reducing breeding that will occur in northeast Ethiopia in the coming months. This is even more important as rains have already started to fall in Afar and are expected to be above normal from now until September. This will allow the swarms to finish their maturation and lay eggs, which are expected to start to hatch in early August, giving rise to hopper bands that could eventually lead to the formation of new immature swarms from late September onwards.

CONTEXT. Important infestations remain in the Horn of Africa while other regions are calm.

• Mainly aerial control operations continue against immature swarms on the plateau in the northwest (Somaliland); no locusts seen during surveys in the northeast (Puntland).
• Control operations are underway against earlier swarms that arrived and split up along the eastern escarpment of the Amhara highlands near Kombolcha. There are recent reports from a number of nearby districts as well as a swarm moving north towards Chifra today; a few immature swarms remain in the railway area near Ayasha.
• An immature swarm is present north of Ali Sabieh.
• An immature swarm was seen in the highlands near Sana’a while another moved further south towards Taiz; small-scale breeding is underway in parts of the interior.
• Limited control was carried out against groups of hoppers and adults in the northern Nile Valley near Karima.
• SW ASIA. No locusts seen during recent surveys in Iran, Pakistan and India.

TAKEAWAY. Current field operations should be upscaled in northeast Ethiopia and maintained in eastern Ethiopia, northern Somalia, Djibouti and Yemen.

• Central Region (SERIOUS) – increase operations in Afar and eastern Amhara (Ethiopia)
• Eastern Region (CALM) – initiate summer surveys (Indo-Pakistan)
• Western Region (CALM) – initiate summer surveys (northern Sahel)

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations