Locust Swarms in the Horn of Africa

Locust Swarms in the Horn of Africa

Sofia M. Khazova

Temple University

POLS 1301: International Politics

Dr. Farmer

April 26, 2022

            East Africa is a region of the world constantly plagued by climate change and conflict related disasters. Millions of people living there have been suffering from severe food insecurity for decades. Just recently they faced another major famine threat in the form of the Desert Locust. In 2020 the Horn of Africa, that includes Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Eritrea, parts of Sudan, Kenya, and Uganda, experienced the largest Desert Locust infestation of the last 25 years (The World Bank). Vital crops such as coffee, wheat, corn, and tea were destroyed, the food security of 19 million people was seriously threatened.

            The largest swarm was reported in Kenya which included 200 billion individual insects. This number of locusts can easily destroy as much food in a day as 84 million people could eat (Salomé). This disaster has led to the decline in agriculture and increased food insecurity in the Horn of Africa. Because Desert Locust can spread fast and multiply exponentially with each new generation, there is no accurate way to predict how long a swarm can last. Nonetheless, the most effective method to deal with the insects is to eliminate them at an early stage. But humanitarian and scientific work had proven to be difficult in predominantly rural, hard-to-reach areas of the Horn of Africa. The current locust upsurge ended in February 2022, but as Earth warms and the usually dry and unhospitable landscape turns green, we can expect more record-breaking locust swarms in the near future.

           The invasion of Desert Locust is the proximate cause of this humanitarian disaster. The Desert Locust, also known as African Migratory Locust, is an incredibly voracious and harmful insect that lives in North Africa and Southwest Asia. Alone, it is a harmless wingless grasshopper preferring a solitary lifestyle. But it turns into a real nightmare when more than 500 individuals gather on 2.5 acres of land initiating a fierce competition for food (The Lancet 395). The hungry locust can quickly devour all available vegetation in the area prospering on the human crop. Not to starve locusts form huge swarms numbering billions. They can travel 80 miles a day multiplying in numbers and constantly looking for new food sources, initiating a never-ending cycle of destruction and misery. (The Lancet 395)

           The primary reason why a locust swarm can occur is the unusually favorable conditions for locusts to breed, which is a lot of rainfall and the abundance of greenery. In 2019 the Sub-Saharan region of Horn of Africa experienced just that. The warming of Earth’s surface had led to the rapid increase in water levels of the Indian Ocean located off the east coast of Africa. The excessive moisture stored in the environment resulted in the large number of strong tropical cyclones and heavy rains falling on Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. In December 2019 Tropical Storm “Powan” hit Somalia and Ethiopia not only destroying homes and flooding villages, but also largely contributing to the uncontrollable spread of locusts in the following year (Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations). Making climate change the true, deep cause, of the locust plague.

           As early as the beginning of 2020 the first flocks of locust headed to Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Iran, there locust multiplied, and then moved to East Africa. New flocks formed in Eritrea, Djibouti and Kenya crossed several borders and devastated the region (Desert Locust Upsurge). Appearances of the Desert Locust swarms in this region are sporadic but not completely random. The previous disaster occurred in 2007, but on a much smaller scale. Also, the region where the first locust swarm originated is sparsely populated, preventing any timely action that could have saved thousands of people from starvation and displacement. Quickly, the locust plague became an international problem. Not a single country in the Horn of Africa was left unaffected by the locust, intensifying worldwide refugee crisis, and putting more pressure on the international food bank.

            Unfortunately, there is no reliable way to deal with the Desert Locust. Regions under the most threat are sparsely populated thus a newly formed locust swarm is difficult to detect. This problem can be solved with the help of drones and other technology, but often African countries lack much needed resources to afford them. To date, the most effective method of dealing with the locust is pesticides. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, environmentally friendly pesticide, derived from a verity of mushroom, that can target desert locusts without poisoning humans or harming any other animals is already in use. However, high costs, unavailability of reliable supply, and late delivery of agricultural tools due to military conflicts are the main reasons why 2020 locust swarm has spread so widely (Baskar).

            The international relations theories in accordance with which the African states are expected to act in this situation are realism, institutionalism, and constructivism. According to Professor John Mearsheimer, a supporter of realist theory, people (or states) pursue their interests (survival, security, and domination), using all available resources. In other words, since the international system is characterized by anarchy; the main motives of the foreign policy of states are security (self-preservation), benefit (economic well-being) and prestige (authority, reputation). The dominant strategy of states consists of the desire to maximize their own power potential and prevent anyone from attacking their sovereignty. Based on this type of approach in in the event of Locust Invasion the African countries would be expected not to cooperate with each other. The borders would be shut close to prevent the uncontrollable flow of hungry refugees. Nation states would try to eliminate locusts without international cooperation making it difficult for neighboring countries to assess the situation and prepare for possible locust invasion inside their own borders.

            To understand why a realist approach can be favored by political actors in this situation we should look at the history of the Horn of Africa.  The region of Horn of Africa has been plagued by conflict for decades. The Eritrean War for Independence from Ethiopia lasted for 40 years. With the last armed conflict between the two nations ending in 2000, the relationships between Eritrea and Ethiopia remain largely hostile. The Somali Civil War is another prolonged conflict in the area. It is an ongoing violent struggle for the control of Samalia between various groups including Somali ruling government, the radical Islamist organization al-Shabaab, and various other militants. These groups all control different patches of land making humanitarian cooperation difficult even within the country.