Agriculture authorities have requested help from the Defense Ministry to stamp out an outbreak of locusts swarming regions in Upper Egypt and the Red Sea.

On Tuesday, Salah Moawwad, who is heading up the pest control effort in the area, said he needs at least two planes that can spray pesticides along the border of Sudan and other areas where the locusts are still swarming.

The locusts, likely from Sudan, were first spotted a few weeks ago and have targeted cities like Marsa Alam.

Moawwad said locusts can fly great distances, which makes it difficult to exterminate the destructive pests once and for all. Currently, authorities under the Agriculture Ministry are working with the Armed Forces to track and send out teams to deal with the insects before they reach the rich farmlands in the Nile Delta.

“The situation is stable. Combating efforts across the governorates have taken place through [strategic] plans to combat them,” said Moawwad, who is also trying to avert further destruction to the Red Sea’s residential and tourist hotspots.