The reason why so many locusts gather in East Africa
While everyone is preoccupied with the Corona pandemic, the citizens of East Africa suffer greatly from various fronts.
Ethiopia, Uganda, and Kenya are currently witnessing severe swarms of locusts, the crops people need to eat are eaten before they are harvested. It is also possible that these swarms will soon migrate to neighboring countries as well.
It is difficult to determine the extent of the impact of these huge clouds of insects, but by studying the conditions that allowed locusts to thrive, scientists hope to predict the extent of the damage in advance and suggest plans to mitigate them.
However, it is difficult to implement a large-scale plan to control these famine-producing insects.
What caused this huge amount of swarms to arrive?
Locust swarms have been a frequent problem for farmers in Africa, even in Asia and Europe for ages. Historians from Rome, ancient Greece, and elsewhere have spoken of the scourge of locust attacks centuries ago.
Desert locusts are more devastating than others as they travel through swarms. This type is dangerous and unique due to its size. One square kilometer of these swarms is able to consume large quantities of crops as the preferred target of these insects, and therefore these villages cannot harvest their food early in order to prevent locusts from eating it, which precipitates a severe decrease in the food supplies of these citizens.
Environmentalists have built multiple theories about the period between the appearance of swarms that are considered long something, and it is likely that the amount of moisture in the sandy desert soil is the reason, where locusts lay eggs there, in most times the soil is very dry and therefore the locusts do not hatch on it, and therefore will not be able to Form a swarm except in the few times when the soil is wet.
How can we save these people from Starvation?
There is no escape from humanitarian aid to avoid starvation. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is trying to raise approximately $76 million in donations, the USAID announced also that it will spend millions of dollars in humanitarian aid for the benefit of East African residents in the hope of eliminating these swarms.
Could these swarms migrate around the world?
Although locusts spread to the Caribbean and India, it generally does not travel through high mountains or rainforests and does not reach Europe. However, when these swarms travel long distances, they cause great damage to other areas before they die.
This swarm has already reached nearly 16 countries, including India, Mauritania, and Iran, and can spread to most parts of West and North Africa, especially with the onset of the rainy season during the summer.