In East Africa the Coronavirus pandemic is holding up the fight against the swarms of locusts that have been devastating crops in several countries of the region for months. This is according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
With the wave of border closures and suspension of international flights, the UN body reports that deliveries of pesticides and equipment to control the swarms have been impeded.
Numerous analysts fear that generally the viral disease is capturing the entire attention of the international community, to the detriment of the struggle against the locusts. This is despite the FAO’s view that these harmful insects still represent an unprecedented threat to the food security and livelihoods of many households in countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia.
Although it launched a call for $153 million of funding to fight the locusts, the UN body has only received $107 million, according to figures reported by Bloomberg.
Source: Ecofin Agency
