Earlier in 2020, billions of desert locusts destroyed crops across East Africa, and the UN warned that the next generation would be more destructive. The region’s growing season has begun, and locust swarms have grown, as mitigation efforts are complicated by Covid-19. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that up to 25 million East African will experience food shortages later this year. About 13 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti, and Eritrea already suffer from severe food insecurity.
Desert locusts thrive when arid regions experience heavy rain, because they lay their eggs in damp, sandy soil. Usually, when locusts have room to spread out, they actively avoid each other. In favorable conditions, desert locusts can multiply 20-fold every three months. Because of this increased breeding and crowding, they turn into social creatures, forming large swarms. Recently, conditions for procreation and migration have been ideal.
To stem the growth of locust populations, governments often spray pesticides either directly on the ground or from the air. Sourcing these chemicals during the Covid-19 pandemic has been a challenge.
Please pray for the locust populations to be controlled and for crops to continue to grow. Pray for the provision of food and health for the people of East Africa. Pray for our friends in East Africa to spread the love of Jesus to people in difficult circumstances.
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