Locust swarms, coronavirus: Africa under threats

Crop-decimating locust swarms in East Africa are a vital threat to food security, says the UN. This outbreak is the worst in decades and calls for immediate action. To contain it, only one solution: the aerial spraying of pesticides.

“ Swarms of up to 80 million locusts decimating crops in East Africa, threatening food security for 13 million people  ” , Time, February 14, 2020

Decimated crops, famine, migrations, conflicts: the Horn of Africa is under attack and the invaders as big as entire cities. Newsweek offers an outlook on the long-term consequences of this massive locust swarm invasion.

“ Locust swarms as big as cities are causing a crisis in Africa as experts warn they could get 400 times bigger  ” , Newsweek, February 13, 2020

Indigenous people’s contribution to preserving ecosystems is crucial in Bolivia, says IUCN. What happens when the secular guardians of the forests are under governmental and industrial threat?

“ Bolivia: contribution of indigenous people to fighting climate change is hanging by a thread  ” , The Conversation, February 11, 2020

International NGOs are not accustomed to obtaining Chinese visas so easily. As China takes stock of the importance of the crisis and eases its otherwise strict border control, aid organizations respond to its call for help.

“ Coronavirus in China: International NGOs’ response  ” , Devex, February 14, 2020

Coronavirus recently claimed its first suspected cases in Africa. For Michel Yao, WHO’s Head of emergency operations in Africa, most African hospitals cannot cope with such a fast-spreading, large-scale epidemic. A humanitarian crisis might be just around the corner.

“ African countries braced for “inevitable” arrival of coronavirus  ” , The Guardian, February 12, 2020