US pumps $8 million for desert locust control in East Africa

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The United States has released $8 million in support for regional operations to control desert locusts in East Africa, USAID has announced, with the funding expected to help in curbing the crisis.

Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia are some of the countries expected to benefit from the support, following the deadly outbreak which could trigger the food crisis in the region.

For almost four months, the countries have been grappling with locust invasion, which has ended up destroying millions of acres of land, forcing farmers to count losses.

By helping to reduce the size of the swarms, USAID noted, "this aid is expected to have a positive impact on affected communities throughout the Horn of Africa".

The current outbreak of desert locusts is the worst to hit East Africa in decades: billions of pests are infesting the region, devouring crops and vegetation, and destroying livestock pastures, Washington notes.

Both Kenya and Somalia have massively invested in dealing with the plague, which emanated from Somalia before crossing over to the northeastern parts of Kenya.

The new funding will support locust-control operations across the region, which include ground-based and aerial efforts, USAID added.

Already, the US had donated $1 million through the Food and Agricultural Organization [FAO], which had already dispatched $10 million to all affected nations.

Among others, the resources have been used to control and prevent the spread of infestation, train more than 300 experts and scouts besides helping in the purchase of protective equipment.

The USAID has disaster experts in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and the Republic of South Sudan who is assessing humanitarian needs and coordinating response efforts with local governments and humanitarian organizations.

They, Washington says, " will work closely with these groups to determine whether additional assistance is necessary, based on evaluations made on the ground".

The United States, which is a major donor in Africa, also calls upon other donors to contribute funds to the immediate needs of communities throughout the Horn of Africa.

The United States is also providing long-term funding to protect food security and livelihoods for the people of East Africa, as well as to strengthen institutional capacity for the detection, surveillance, reporting, and monitoring of locusts, USAID added.

Kenya already started aerial spraying of the locusts in the north, although the efforts are yet to show any significant drop in the infestation, with the locusts spreading to high altitude regions.

The invasion could hamper food security measures in East Africa, a move that could further plunge the affected countries into unprecedented hunger, experts warn.

GAROWE ONLINE