Catholic bishop Giorgio Bertin, the apostolic administrator of Mogadishu and the rest of Somalia, has expressed concern over a desert locusts’ plague in the country, from where the insects are spreading into eastern Africa.
The insects are destroying plants, crops and animal pasture as they move.
“The locust plague is a concern of everyone in Somalia,” Bertin, the bishop of Djibouti told The Tablet. “Here in Djibouti swarms passed by some days ago in the southern parts, but since the country is a desert, the devastation is not so huge.”
In Somalia, the Church has responded to flooding in the South-West, but the bishop said it would not respond to the locust problem which needs a bigger capacity.
“It is too big for us. Countries with military bases here in Djibouti could make an effort to use planes to spray the locusts,” said the bishop.
Last month, Somalia declared the locust crisis a national disaster. They arrived in the country in December, and from there spread into Kenya. Last week, reports indicated that swarms had reached Tanzania, South Sudan and Uganda.
Kenya, where the locusts’ arrival was recorded on 28 December, is bracing for the second wave of invasion in March and April.
According to experts, the insects have laid eggs on their migratory paths, which are expected to hatch in the coming days.
Government officials say the insects have spread in 17 counties. Catholic Church leaders in Kenya have been urging the citizens to use all means to fight the insects.
Loading ...
