The current situation in East Africa remains extremely alarming as hopper bands and an increasing number of new swarms are forming in Kenya, southern Ethiopia and Somalia. This represents an unprecedented threat to food security and livelihoods because it coincides with the beginning of the long rains and the planting season. Although ground and aerial control operations are in progress, widespread rains that fell in late March will allow the new swarms to mostly remain, mature and lay eggs while a few swarms could move from-to-and during May, the eggs will hatch into hopper bands that will form new swarms in late June and July, which coincides with the start of the harvest time.
Several swarms appeared in the past few days in Amudati district of northeast Uganda. (FAO April 4, 2020)
