Intense swarm invasion of Kenya likely from mid-December onwards

Situation

The worst locust invasion in decades The region is also facing the biggest locust outbreak in over 25 years , and the most serious in 70 years for Kenya. Millions are sweeping across Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia and have decimated thousands of hectares of crops. This outbreak has been made worse by the climate crisis, with unusually heavy rains leading to a growth of vegetation in arid areas, providing locusts with more food, and the conditions needed to develop and reproduce. An average swarm can contain up to 40 million insects , travel up to 150 km in a single day and consume enough food to feed 34 million people within that time. The floods and a new wave of locust infestation will lead to increased food shortages in a region where over 33 million people are already severely food insecure . At the same time, the economic fallout from governments’ efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic is likely to push millions of people further into poverty as there are little or no social safety nets to protect them. Oxfam’s response Oxfam is working closely with local partners in Ethiopia, Kenya. Uganda and Somalia, to provide cash assistance to more than 6,000 households to buy food. We are also distributing soap, hygiene kits and clean water to hospitals and communities. Our staff have been increasing public awareness to help prevent the spread of coronavirus, including broadcasting messages in local languages with megaphones in rural villages. We prioritize support for women, as they are disproportionately affected by the crisis with increased livelihood and childcare burdens, plus higher risks of sexual violence. We can stop the worst from happening. You can save lives by supporting Oxfam’s work providing emergency help to those who need it most.

Provenance

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Cached dataset: worldsai_drup771.sql.gz

• OXFAM