The Desert Locust crisis which struck the greater Horn of Africa region earlier this year threatening food supplies for millions, could re-escalate as recent strong winds carried mature swarmlets from southern Somalia into eastern and northeastern Kenya.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said on Tuesday that although some of the swarmlets that reached Kenya may have already laid eggs before their arrival, there remains a risk of further egg-laying in sandy areas that saw recent rainfalls.
The agency said that, in this case, hatching and hopper band formation can be expected in early December.
It says breeding also continues in central Somalia and eastern Ethiopia where bands of hoppers – non-flying, are present, and a new generation of immature swarms could start forming by the end of November.
As Abdullahi Hassan reports, the agency says swarm formation is expected to continue throughout December due to widespread hatching and band formation that occurred mid-November.
