Posted on 09/17/2004 8:02:38 PM PDT by freedom44
ROME - Swarms of desert locusts are moving across northwest Africa, threatening to devastate crops in an increasing number of countries, U.N. officials warned Friday.
After hitting Mauritania, Senegal, Mali and Niger, the swarms are expected to reach the western Sahara and southern Algeria next month, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (news - web sites) said Friday.
"The scale of the locust invasion in northwest Africa is likely to be larger than last spring." said Keith Cressman, a spokesman for the Rome-based U.N. agency. "It is the worst situation since the 1987-1989 plague (of locusts). A substantial portion of summer harvest will be lost."
The agency has received estimates that 40 percent of pasture land and 10 percent of vegetable plots have been damaged so far.
Despite earlier worries, Sudan's vulnerable Darfur region is not reported to be infested. Darfur is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis because of ethnic violence.
The FAO has called for $100 million from the international donor community to help countries hit by the locusts.
Thus far, donors have pledged $24 million, of which the organization has received $4 million, officials said.
"The international community's response has been positive, though at the level of promises" said FAO General-Director Jacques Diouf.
Locusts are present every year in Africa, but this year's swarms are especially large because of prolonged periods of heavy rain last fall.
Deep fried locust...
Bush's fault?
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Despite earlier worries, Sudan's vulnerable Darfur region is not reported to be infested. Darfur is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis because of ethnic violence.
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Thank goodness all is not lost!
Sorry if anyone is offended. I don't wish to make light of the suffering. These two sentences together like this just seemed strange.
Not to worry, surely the U.N. can come up with a food for oil, under the table deal. They have so much experience at that sort of thing already.
Just when you think things can't get any worse- an infestation that devours everything in sight, creates chaos and destruction and bleeds a wounded continent. The UN. Oh, that locust problem looks bad too.
Isn't the Locust Army trying to invade us...oh, sorry; these are the INSECTS. I thought they meant the Islamonazis.
As TerroRazor-HK would say, "If they don't have clothes, let them wear locusts!"
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