By George Stephens • Published: 15 Feb 2020 • 10:23
The UN has issued a stark warning as locusts plague East Africa threatening food supplies.
If the infestation and plague is not stopped they warn that it could threaten millions of people and cost over a billion dollars.
They are advising governments to spend 59 million now to stop it turning into a total plague rather than suffer consequences later.
The UN say up to 13 million people’s food security could be further threatened if the locusts are not tackled straight away.
The locusts are a desert breed and reached Uganda after initially starting out in Kenya and military forces are now being deployed to battle the pests.
Crops are being constantly destroyed as the locusts attack after heavy rain falls.
It’s the worst locust attack in 70 years seen in Kenya and it’s spreading at a rate of knots.
The desert locust is the world’s most dangerous migratory locust, with a swarm of one square kilometre able to munch up the equivalent of crops that could feed 35,000 people for a year.
Share this story
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox!
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don't already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don’t already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Download our media pack in either English or Spanish.