The Russian Government has announced a contribution of Sh300 million to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, which will be used to support Kenya’s response to desert locust invasion.
The contribution is part of a larger Russian donation of Sh1 billion to FAO which is to fund their regional effort to address the catastrophic desert locust invasion in East Africa.
The UN had warned that the devastation at the beginning of the year that affected more than 20 counties in the country could be multiplied by 20 times in a second wave brought about by the recent rains.
The presence of locusts in the country threatens food security and livelihoods of Kenyans who are also dealing with coronavirus pandemic and the floods.
More than 70,000 hectares of vegetation was destroyed by the pests which crossed into the country from the neighbouring country Somalia late last year.
Announcing the donation, the Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Kenya Dmitry Maksimychev said that Kenya is currently facing a very serious and complex challenge that combines the Covid-19 pandemic and the continuing devastating locust invasion.
“This situation requires a comprehensive response. We see Russia’s intervention as an input into the implementation of recent flash appeal by the UN for support in managing the effects of floods, the locust upsurge and the Covid-19,” Ambassador Dmitry Maksimychev said.
“Our support is an expression of Russia’s friendship to the people of Kenya and desire and determination to help Kenyans to overcome the unprecedented challenge.”
Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Macharia Kamau said the donation will help the country at this moment when the country is facing various challenges.
“This very generous assistance from the Russian Federation is both timely and indispensable in the pressing fight against desert locusts. Kenya today faces a dual-threat of desert locusts and the Covid-19 pandemic. These two predicaments are a perfect storm and that gravely threatens lives and livelihoods,” Kamau said.
“This considerable support from our Russian friends shall not only save lives but is also a clear statement of friendship and solidarity that embodies our mutual commitment to expand our relations in all areas.”
“The UN in Kenya will continue to lead the coordination of development partner support to provide aggressive large-scale interventions. Farming communities in the country have already been impacted by extended droughts and we need to help them get back on their feet once the locusts and COVID-19 are gone,” said UN Resident Coordinator to Kenya Siddharth Chatterjee.
Desert Locust swarms in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, already unprecedented in their size and destructive potential – could swell exponentially and spill over into more countries in East Africa if efforts to deal with the voracious pest are not massively scaled up across the region.
