Desert-Locust Outbreak Reaches Democratic Republic of Congo

(Bloomberg) -- A desert-locust outbreak that has been ravaging pastures and crops on both sides of the Red Sea has reached the Democratic Republic of Congo, the first time in more than 75 years, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization said.

“A small group of mature desert locusts arrived on the western shore of Lake Albert near Bunia on 21 February after crossing northern Uganda on strong northeasterly winds,” the FAO said in a statement.

The situation remains “extremely alarming” especially in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia where breeding is in progress and new swarms are expected to form in the coming weeks, the FAO said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Samuel Gebre in Addis Ababa at sgebre@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: David Malingha at dmalingha@bloomberg.net, Hilton Shone, Andre Janse van Vuuren

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