And now, the east African country has just declared a new state of emergency over a locust invasion that is threatening to destroy crop due for harvest from April after the apocalyptic plagues in 2020.
Officials have identified a large swarm of locusts in the southern federal states of Hirshabelle, South West and Jubbaland. And this area is already qualified as food poor.
The officials “acknowledged the need to amplify efforts in the coming weeks and months, to mitigate damage in food security and livelihoods in Somalia due to desert locust infestation,” said a bulletin issued on Thursday by FAO Somalia Representative Étienne Peterschmitt.
The locusts have ravaged most of the Horn of Africa region, and Somalia is the first country in the region to issue a state of emergency.
In Kenya, officials said at least 15 of the 47 counties have been affected since a second wave of locust invasion began in November. They include Garissa, Wajir and Mandera which border Somalia’s south-western region.
However, unlike Somalia, Kenya has been able to embark on aerial spraying of farms to kill the insects.
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