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Desert Locust Situation Update 14 Aug 2020
Swarms persist in the Horn of Africa
During the past week, control operations continue against persistent immature swarms in the Horn of Africa. There were several new sightings of immature swarms in Samburu county in northwest Kenya while other swarms prevailed near the border of Uganda in Turkana County. Cool temperatures and local winds have limited their ability to migrate northwards, which suggests that some swarms may remain during the summer awaiting the Short Rains in October. In Uganda, control was carried out against one swarm that arrived from Turkana county on 12 August.
In northern Somalia, immature swarms persist on the plateau in the northwest and northeast. A large swarm was seen over Hargeisa this afternoon (14 August). Other swarms are present in adjacent areas of eastern Ethiopia between Jijiga, Harar, Dire Dawa, and the Djibouti border, and numerous swarms are in the Afar region, partially as a result of several swarms migrating from Yemen. Good rains have caused large areas of green vegetation to develop that will allow breeding and a further increase in locust infestations during August and September.
Good rains continue to fall in the interior and coastal areas of Yemen where flooding has occurred in some places. Breeding is in progress in these areas, causing more hopper bands and swarms to form. Limited control operations were undertaken in a few places.
In Oman, control teams treated hopper groups and bands on the southern coast near Salalah. If any swarms form, they are likely to move into eastern Yemen.
In Sudan, so far only low numbers of solitarious adults are present in the interior and there have been no reports of swarms arriving from Kenya. However, exceptionally good rains have fallen so far this month and much further north in the interior than usual. There was an unconfirmed report of a swarm on the Red Sea coast near the Sudan/Eritrea border that may have arrived from Yemen.
In Southwest Asia, summer breeding continues along both sides of the Indo-Pakistan border. In Pakistan, hopper groups and bands continue to form in the Nagarparkar area of southeast Sindh where fledging has started, and adults are forming small groups of adults.
In India, widespread breeding is underway throughout Rajasthan where hoppers are forming groups and bands. More hatching is expected this month. There remains a risk that a few swarms could still arrive from northern Somalia. Control operations continue in both countries. The situation has returned to calm in Iran.
In West Africa, low numbers of solitarious locusts are present in the summer breeding areas of the northern Sahel in Chad, Niger, and Mauritania where local breeding will occur in areas where rains fell recently much further north than normal.
website:http://desertlocust-crc.org/Pages/Bulletin.aspx?DomainId=58&lang=EN&DId=0&I=0&CId=0&CMSId=800347
pdf link:http://desertlocust-crc.org/Download.ashx?File=App_Uploads/Bulletins/Files/200816030933DL%20situation-update%2014%20August%202020.pdf
DLIS - 14, Aug 2020
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