The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is warning that its entire fleet of aircraft used to combat a swarm of desert locusts in East Africa could be grounded entirely if it doesn’t get funding of about $38m (£28m).

A new wave of the crop-devouring pests has invaded Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia threatening the livelihoods of millions of farmers already grappling with the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and heavy flooding in the region.

The latest assessment by FAO shows that swarms have invaded 11 counties in Kenya and are heading towards the coastal part of the country and Tanzania.

Bigger swarms have also destroyed farmlands in Ethiopia and Somalia this year. This is the third invasion of locusts in the region in just a year.

The new breed of locusts has been aided by Cyclone Gati which dumped around two years’ worth of rain on the country in just a few days.

This provided ideal breeding grounds for the hoppers.

“The impact can have severe consequences for agricultural, agropastoral and pastoral livelihoods in a context where food security is already fragile.” says Ezana Kassa, FAO emergency co-ordinator in Somalia.

The UN body says aerial and ground spraying, which has been going on since the first invasion in January 2020, have helped avoid crop and dairy losses worth an estimated $1,2bn.

“The last time Africa saw an upsurge of locusts approaching this scale, in the Sahel, it took two years and more than $500 million to bring under control.

“This upsurge was even bigger, but East Africa is poised to end it — provided governments can keep those aircraft flying,” said FAO Deputy Director-General Laurent Thomas. – BBC news