Somalia declares state of emergency over locust swarms

Locusts gather on the ground in Kenya on 22 May 2020 [Fredrik Lerneryd/Getty Images]

Somalia has declared a state of emergency on Thursday over a new generation of desert locust swarms that have caused major damage to farmlands.

On its official Twitter account, Somali state television announced that the country’s Ministry of Agriculture had declared a state of emergency due to the desert locust invasion.

This decision was taken during a meeting held by officials of the Somali Ministry of Agriculture, representatives of the South West State of Somalia and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Earlier, Kenya had announced that many of the country’s regions were invaded by desert locust swarms coming from Ethiopia and Sudan.

Locusts cause serious panic among the population, as they travel 150 kilometres daily in East Africa, causing severe damage to crops.

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