By The Director General of Food and Agriculture Organization, QU Dongyu, has received a total sum of €11 million as a contribution from the European Union towards the fight against the desert locust which has now spread from East Africa to the Persian Gulf.
The European commission has mentioned that the €10 million of the total sum would come from European Commission’s Directorate – General for International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO).
He noted that the remaining €1 million would come from European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO).
While appreciating EU’s generosity, Qu said, “I want to thank the European Union for its generosity and support as the locust desert threatens to provoke a humanitarian crisis n Africa.”
The locust outbreak is the worst in Ethiopia and Somalia in 25 years and the worst infestation that Kenya has in the past 70 years.
Djibouti and Eritrea have also been affected while swarms of desert locust have been reported in south Sudan, Uganda and the united republic of Tanzania.
FAO’s Director of Emergencies and Resilience also briefed the European parliament’s committee on development in Brussels.
“It is an extreme situation, we have a window of opportunity to bring this under control,” he said.
The desert locust is considered the most destructive migratory pest in the world and a small swarm covering one square kilometer can eat the same amount of food in one day as 35,00 people.
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