Locust swarm threatens outskirts of Somali capital

(9 Nov 2020) LEAD IN:
Hundreds of thousands of locusts are swarming in the Daynile District, close to Somalia's capital, Mogadishu.
The swarms appeared on Saturday (November 7), destroying vegetation and pastures in an area popular with tourists.

STORY-LINE:
Swarms of locusts have spread across the outskirts of Mogadishu, Somalia destroying vegetation and pastures in their path.
As the country struggles to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, this is one problem it could do without.
The invasion of these flying pests arrived in the Daynile District on Saturday (Nov. 7, 2020).
Abdiaziz Dahir is a local administrator with the Daynile District Administration.
"We woke up to a shocking sight. Desert locusts had invaded our land, claiming all spaces with pasture and vegetation. We have a serious problem on our hands that needs to be tackled immediately," he says.  
Dahir fears if the problem is not dealt with, the lush landscape could be destroyed, impacting tourism in the area.
"As this neighbourhood is known for its scenery, pasture and tourism, we are afraid that the locust invasion will damage large parts of this land and turn the entire area into arid land. This will affect the number of tourists that will come to this place during their spare time."
The locust invasion couldn't come at a worse time - a global pandemic, seasonal flooding, and attacks by Islamic insurgents in Somalia.
Locals have tried simple measures, like banging kitchen utensils together to make loud noises.
But these basic attempts are no match for the locusts descending on their fields. Aerial spraying is generally considered the only effective control method.
"I have been fending off the locust swarms the entire morning as they are a threat to our pasture. I call upon our government to join the fight or extend support to us. Now, we are fighting the locusts with our hands," says local herder Sayid Abdullahi.
2020 has seen locust plagues affecting millions of people across the globe in Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Eritrea, India, Pakistan, Iran, Yemen, Oman, Saudi Arabia as well as Somalia.
During plagues the pests can spread over an area of 29 million square kilometres with the potential to damage the livelihoods of a tenth of the world's population, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

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