• The locusts have spread to 18 counties in Kenya and seven African countries.
• FAO said this is the worst locust outbreak Kenya has experienced in 70 years.
Image: LINAH MUSANGI
The desert locust crisis in Kenya and other African countries has attracted a lot of support form the United Nations.
UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation has appealed for Sh13.9 billion in urgent funding to assist affected countries. So far, only Sh5.2 billion has been received.
The locusts have spread to 18 counties in Kenya and seven African countries. Of the Sh13.9 billion, Kenya will receive Sh2.2 billion, Somalia Sh3.2 billion, Ethiopia Sh5 billion, Uganda Sh866 million, Tanzania Sh51 million and South Sudan Sh873.6 million.
The European Commission has also stepped in to support the fight and has donated Sh1.2 billion. Counties infested include Mandera, Marsabit, Wajir, Garissa, Isiolo, Samburu, Turkana, Baringo, Meru, Embu, Tharaka Nithi, Kajiado, Kirinyaga, Laikipia, Tana River, Murang'a, Kericho, Kisumu and Machakos.
FAO said this is the worst locust outbreak Kenya has experienced in 70 years and the worst in 25 years for Ethiopia and Somalia. Djibouti and Eritrea have also been affected while swarms have been reported in Uganda, Tanzania and South Sudan.
FAO director general QU Dongyu said in a statement that the situation is extremely alarming in a region where 20 million people are already considered food-insecure.
"We must urgently scale up action to protect rural livelihoods and assist farmers and their families. There is no time to waste. I want to thank the European Union for its generosity and support as the Desert Locust threatens to provoke a humanitarian crisis in East Africa," Qu said.
Experts say temperature and rainfall are the big drivers of shifts in how and where pests and diseases spread. Tek Sapkota, an agriculture system and climate change scientist at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre, said an increase in temperatures and precipitation levels favours the growth and distribution of most pest species. This is because it provides a warm and humid environment for their growth.
"Climate change can affect the population size, survival rate and geographical distribution of pests and the intensity, development and geographical distribution of diseases," Sapkota said.
Agriculture Senate Committee will be visiting some of the locust-infested areas, including Embu, Tharaka Nithi and Samburu counties. The committee, chaired by Embu Senator Njeru Ndwiga, will be assessing the areas affected by the locust invasion and will table a report before the Senate next week.