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Sudan + 33 more

Desert Locust Bulletin 434 (November 2014) [EN/AR]

Attachments

General Situation during November 2014
Forecast until January 2015

An outbreak continued in Sudan during November as swarms formed in the summer breeding areas of the interior and moved to winter breeding areas on the Red Sea coastal plains and laid eggs. Another outbreak developed on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea where hoppers formed bands. Intensive control operations were underway in both countries. Scattered adults were present on the Red Sea coast in Saudi Arabia and Yemen. During the forecast period, breeding will cause locust numbers to increase along both sides of the Red Sea, particularly in Sudan and Eritrea where hatching and band formation are expected. Intensive survey and control operations will be required in both countries. Elsewhere, the situation remained calm.

Western Region. The situation remained calm in November. Local breeding occurred in Niger and western Mauritania but locust numbers remained low. Locusts may be present in northern Mali but this could not be confirmed in the absence of surveys due to insecurity. In Northwest Africa, unusually heavy rains fell in Morocco, the Western Sahara and in northern Mauritania that could eventually lead to good conditions for spring breeding.

Central Region. While the outbreak continued in Sudan, another outbreak developed on the Red Sea coast in Eritrea. As a result of good breeding, hoppers formed groups and bands on the central and northern coast, and ground teams treated nearly 7,000 ha in November. In Sudan, intensive aerial and ground control operations continued in the summer breeding areas of the interior against hopper bands and swarms, treating 76,000 ha. Swarms that escaped control moved to the Red Sea coast and laid eggs by the end of November along a 250 km stretch and some 7,000 ha were treated. Although the outbreaks are currently confined to Sudan and Eritrea, there remains a risk that adult groups and a few small swarms may appear in southeast Egypt where so far only scattered adults and small-scale breeding have been reported. Scattered adults were also present on the Red Sea coast in Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Locust numbers will increase along both sides of the Red Sea, primarily in Sudan where hatching and band formation will occur in December and in Eritrea where a second generation of breeding is likely in January.

Eastern Region. The situation remained calm in November. Only isolated adults persisted in a few places of Rajasthan, India. No significant developments are likely.