Calling for Coordinated Actions towards the Sustainable Management of the Desert Locust

Following the invasion of Desert Locust swarms earlier this year in Eastern Africa that has now become an urgent crisis, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Desert Locust Control Committee (DLCC) held its 41st Session Meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 11 to 13 December 2019.
In opening remarks, Sani Redi, state minister for agriculture of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia pointed out that the current situation of locust in Ethiopia was very serious, with its invasion reported and detected in five administrative regions and one town administration. “The 41st session DLCC meeting is held at a time when we are experiencing serious threats from the Desert Locust.” He further added “the international meeting can help in putting together the way forward on how we can beef up our efforts to prevent cyclical multiplication of the Desert Locust in trillions and cause economic damage to locust prone countries including Ethiopia”
On behalf of the FAO Director-General, Fatouma Seid, FAO Representative to Ethiopia, observed that the 41st Session of the DLCC had an added importance this year because it coincided with the most serious Desert Locust situation that the region had faced in the past 25 years. Seid added, “The current Desert Locust situation has exposed the capacity challenges of the countries in the region which need to be enhanced from the current levels in order to manage and control future threats from Desert Locust without causing serious economic damage at the micro- and macroeconomic levels. This is because Desert Locust control is like fighting a war – it relies on precise information, good preparation, organization, and implementation with sufficient resources and coordination.”