The prevention and rapid intervention system of the MAEPE-RH was reinforced following the detection of small desert locust hopper bands
Since new small desert locust hopper bands were detected in south-eastern Djibouti during the end of May 2021, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has increased its efforts to strengthen the prevention and rapid intervention mechanism with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, Fisheries, Livestock and Fisheries Resources (MAEPE-RH) of the Republic of Djibouti.
June 20, 2021, Djibouti – The warning system set up by Djibouti, with the support of the FAO, has detected the presence of small hopper bands in the south-east of the country. Teams were dispatched to the site as soon as the alert was received and processing operations are currently underway.
In order to support these efforts, and in complementarity with the materials that have already been provided to the Government of Djibouti. The FAO has just provided response teams with a set of materials and equipment including personal protective equipment, sprayers, radiocommunication equipment, and camping equipment.
“The action plan that we put in place together last year is now starting to bear fruit. Djibouti was able to detect locusts as soon as they hatched and we were able to react quickly and effectively. Let’s not let our guard down. The fight against the desert locust is a continuous struggle. The Djiboutian government is at the head of this fight, but we remain ready to support you. »- Dr Dademanao PissangTchangai, FAO Representative in Djibouti and to IGAD.
The desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) is the most destructive migratory pest in the world. It is very voracious and targets food and forage crops. To illustrate the extent of the potential damage, a single square kilometer of swarm can consume the same amount of food in one day as 35,000 people. Therefore, they pose a serious threat to food security and the livelihoods of rural populations. Djibouti, and the East African sub-region experienced the worst desert locust invasion for 25 years in November 2019, causing agro-pastoral losses estimated at 6.5 million USD. Every effort is made to ensure that this does not happen again.
Djibouti launched its national desert locust control plan on August 27, 2020 providing for a set of surveillance systems, control operations, pesticide management and human resources. FAO has accompanied the government throughout this process, with the support of resource partners such as the World Bank, the Federal Republic of Germany, EuropeAid (European Union), the Mastercard Foundation, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Desert locust control, as well as monitoring and forecasting in this area, is at the heart of FAO’s mandate. FAO’s Desert Locust Information Service has been in place for almost 50 years. Thanks to a well-established presence in the field, its ability to connect the authorities of the different countries and its expertise in locust management, FAO is a major player in the action taken against the upsurges such as those affecting currently East Africa and parts of Asia.
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations