The Board of Directors of African Development Bank on Wednesday approved 1.5 million US Dollars to assist control of desert locusts in the East and Horn of Africa.
The assistance will be channeled to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development or IGAD which was mandated to mobilize resources on behalf of the African Union.
UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization or FAO will act as the executing agency for the grant to promote early recovery of affected households in the two regions.
The funds are to control the spread of the current locust, prevent next-generation and conduct impact assessment and monitoring to enhance preparedness and awareness.
The nine beneficiary countries are Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania.
Locust swarms are devastating pastureland, maize, cowpeas, beans and other crops despite the government’s efforts to curb the outbreak.
They are reportedly also threatening Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Sudan and Eritrea.
Efforts to control the infestations will require around 147 million US dollars of which 75 million has been provided by governments, donors and UN agencies.