The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says that climate change is responsible for the increased desert locust invasion in Somalia and other neighboring countries.
Keith Cressman, FAO’s Senior Locust Forecasting Officer, blamed the changing climate for the increased invasion.
Somalia and other Horn of Africa countries have suffered increased locust invasion since the tail end of 2019.
Seven countries in the region have experienced the worst desert locust invasion in decades.
Apart from Somalia, other countries hit by this infestation include Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda, and Kenya.
In February 2020, FAO announced that it needs a budget of over $76 million to scale-up desert eradication solutions, including aerial spraying in the affected regions.