The World Bank has announced its agreement to fund the $ 500 million Emergency Locust Program to help countries in the Middle East and Africa respond to the massive locust swarms that pose a threat to food security and to protect millions of people from the risk of losing their livelihood at a time when the region is facing the Coronavirus pandemic and its economic and social repercussions.
The locust swarms began sweeping a number of Gulf countries with an advanced pattern towards the Middle East region, coinciding with the arrival of a large wave of locusts in eastern Africa heading to the north of the continent.
The World Bank assistance will include the technical side to help the affected countries to fight locusts and a social aspect by allocating direct aid to the affected families, especially those depending on agriculture for living.
It is noteworthy that the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) had announced that it had succeeded in protecting 720.000 tons of grains from swarms in 10 countries, but the threat has not ended yet.
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