One of the world’s oldest and most destructive insects is wreaking havoc in Africa.
Hundreds of millions of locusts are eating their way through the continent, putting crops, food security and millions of lives at risk.
It’s almost like a page out of the Bible’s Old Testament book of Exodus. Authorities are calling it the worst outbreak in decades as billions of desert locusts swarm across a large part of East Africa.
“Today locust swarms are as big as major cities and this is getting worse by the day,” warned Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations. “I ask the international community to respond with speed and generosity to ensure an effective response and control the infestation while we still have the chance.”
Experts say the average swarm can contain up to 150 million locusts, travel 100 miles in a single day and grow as large as 250 football fields.
“That swarm in one day can eat the same amount of food as the entire population of Kenya,” said Keith Cressman, an expert with UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). “That swarm in one day can eat the same amount of food as everybody here in the tri-state area—New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York.”
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