20 November - 5 December 2004
1. Overview of the situation
Intensive aerial and ground control operations are underway against immature swarms in Morocco and Algeria that continue to arrive from West Africa and move into the valleys and plateaux of the Atlas Mountains including the Souss Valley in Morocco, an important agricultural area. The majority of the swarms will stay immature until spring, providing a good opportunity to reduce locust numbers significantly before they lay eggs in about March.
Locust swarms that arrived recently in the Canary Islands and southern Portugal have been blown back out to sea.
More immature swarms have arrived in western Libya from the Sahel, and some local breeding has occurred in the centre of the country where early instar hoppers are present.
Control operations continue against swarms in southern Mauritania including those that reinvaded the southeast as well as neighbouring areas in northeast Senegal from farther east in the Sahel.
Locusts have dispersed over a large area of the northern Red Sea, including southern Israel, adjacent areas in Jordan, and the northern coastal plains of the Red Sea in Egypt and Saudi Arabia where a few groups and small swarms have been seen.
2. Extraordinary Session of the Desert Locust Control Committee (DLCC)
An Extraordinary Session of the Desert
Locust Control Committee (DLCC) was convened by FAO, from 29 November
to 2 December 2004 in Rome, to review the upsurge since the last meeting
of the DLCC in September 2003.
The Session provided a first opportunity
to consider the lessons which have been learned from the actions taken
since September/October 2003 and the improvements which could be made in
the months ahead.
Participants of both donor and recipient countries expressed their appreciation of the role played by FAO and the great efforts made by all parties to respond to the Desert Locust infestation.
Donor representatives at the DLCC warmly
supported the creation of an emergency fund at FAO for the Desert Locust
operations. In addition, they prepared a draft list of recommendations
which will be submitted to FAO once they have been endorsed by their respective
capitals.
The DLCC participants recommended that FAO launches an new appeal as early as March 2005 for the summer 2005 campaign in the Sahel, if widespread spring breeding occurs in Northwest Africa, making the re-invasion of the Sahel more likely.
A final report of the Extraordinary Session, including the recommendations made, is being finalized. Further details will be given in the next Situation Report.
For additional information, please refer to the following FAO web site: http://www.fao.org/news/global/locusts/Locuhome.htm click on DLCC in the left hand corner.
3. Funding situation
As of 5 December 2004, FAO has received US$58.3 million in cash, to which the Organization has added US$6 million of its own funds.
US$13.8 million has been pledged but not yet received.
US$1.9 million is currently being negotiated
with donors.
Information
The latest information on the Desert Locust situation, operational activities and donor funding can be found on FAO's locust web site:
(http://www.fao.org/news/global/locusts/locuhome.htm)
Hilde Niggemann
Operations Officer
Emergency Operations and Rehabilitation Division
ECLO
FAO, Rome
Clive Elliott
Senior Officer
Locust and Other Migratory Pests Group
Plant Production and Protection Division
ECLO
FAO, Rome
For further information, please contact these persons at the following email address: locusts-assistance@fao.org