Hopper bands in Israel for the first time in 50 years; adult groups in interior of Saudi Arabia

As a result of egg-laying in mid-March and low temperatures, hatching occurred from mid-April onwards in the western Negev Desert of Israel and in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt where hoppers are now forming groups and bands in both areas.

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Djibouti

New Arrivals: In March 2013, an estimated 8,568 migrants arrived on Yemen’s shores via Djibouti, a 12% increase from February. Numbers of Ethiopians crossing the Red sea in March 2013 were 40% more than those who crossed in January. A total of 21,658 migrants crossed into Yemen via the Red Sea in the first quarter of 2013, 16% less than the first quarter of 2012. 90% of the first quarter totals crossing from Djibouti were Ethiopian. The rest were Somali.

La situation relative au Criquet pèlerin est restée préoccupante en mars dans les aires de reproduction hivernale le long des deux rives de la mer Rouge avec la poursuite des opérations de lutte contre des bandes larvaires et des essaims.

Hoppers hatching and forming bands along Nile River in Sudan

The Desert Locust situation continues to remain serious in the Central Region. Hopper bands and swarms continued to form in the winter breeding areas along both sides of the Red Sea during March. Locust numbers declined after mid-March due to control operations, dry vegetation and migration to the Nile Valley in Sudan and Egypt, and northwards to the Sinai Peninsula, Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon.

Egypt, Sudan: Kidnap and trafficking of refugees and asylum-seekers must be stopped

At a Glance

• Most of the victims are Eritrean

• They suffer beatings, rape, burnings, electric shocks and other forms of extreme violence and cruelty

• Captors will often demand up to USD40,000 in ransom, and have killed those whose families do not pay

• Some of them allege that Sudanese security forces are complicit

Introduction

Groups and swarms move in the Central region

The Desert Locust situation continues to remain serious along both sides of the Red Sea. In the past few days, more groups and small swarms have moved from the breeding areas on the coast into the interior of Sudan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. More locusts have also arrived in Israel and Eritrea. Survey and control operations are underway in all countries. Additional movements are expected during the remainder of March and countries should remain on alert.

Desert Locusts arrive in Cairo

On 2 March, at least one immature swarm appeared in the afternoon in the eastern Cairo districts of New Cairo and Mokattam and dispersed into several smaller swarmlets. The locusts originated from breeding that has been in progress since November in southeast Egypt between Berenice and the Sudanese border. As vegetation dried out, small groups and swarms of immature adults moved slowly north along the Red Sea coast, reaching Marsa Alam on 8 February, Hurghada on the 16th and Zafarana on the 26th. From there, a few moved to Cairo yesterday.

Déplacement d’essaims vers le nord de l’Égypte et le Soudan

La situation relative au Criquet pèlerin continue à être préoccupante le long des deux rives de la mer Rouge où les larves et les ailés forment des groupes, de petites bandes et des essaims dans le nord-est du Soudan, le sud-est de l’Égypte, sur la côte de la mer Rouge de part et d’autre de la frontière soudano-érythréenne et sur la côte septentrionale de la mer Rouge, en Arabie saoudite. Quelques groupes et essaims se sont récemment déplacés à partir de ces zones.