Locusts Sweep Across West Africa

This summer swarms of locusts swept across West Africa, devouring crops in Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, and Chad. World Vision is working with sponsorship communities hit by the infestation to help mitigate the effects. A swarm can consume the same amount of food in one day as several thousand people. The eggs laid during the swarms that invaded in August are now beginning to mature, threatening the fall harvest. Agricultural experts warn that the locust plague could result in food shortages for as many as 1 million people. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization speculate that this event could surpass the locust plague of 1987, which caused a loss of $300 million in Africa's food production. World Vision is working with government organizations, such as Mauritania's Center for Locust Control, to identify outbreak locations for spraying. In sponsorship communities, World Vision is helping farmers combat the insects using low-tech means. World Vision plans to provide food aid as needed to prevent famine in this plague-infested region.