This archive report was first published on 25 May 2020.
Published on May 25, 2020, a new wave of desert locusts has invaded South Sudan, threatening the country's main cropping season.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the surge may not be controlled by June, posing a significant threat to food security in the region.
Uganda and the Desert Locust Control Organisation are working with Kenya to eliminate new swarms, but the situation remains worrying.
FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu noted that despite significant gains in controlling the locusts, the battle is long and not yet over.
Since the start of the desert locust surge, FAO has mobilised $130 million to support locust control efforts, saving over 720,000 tonnes of cereal worth around $220 million.
However, more needs to be done to prevent a food crisis, as the rainy season provides favourable conditions for locusts to breed.
Kenya's Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya announced plans to use drones and mobile applications in July to assess the impact of desert locusts.
Tanzania's Minister for Agriculture Japhet Hasunga is carrying out awareness campaigns among people in areas prone to locust invasion.
More than 20 million people are already facing severe acute food insecurity in the region.
