Madagascar + 1 more
Situation Update - Locust Crisis in Madagascar - 8 May 2014
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Highlights
Since April 2012, Madagascar has been facing a plague of the Malagasy Migratory Locust, that threatens the livelihoods of 13 million people in the country, 9 million of whom earn a living from agriculture.
It is estimated that at least three successive locust control campaigns costing USD 43.9 million* are required to return to a recession of the locust populations by treating over 2 million hectares between September 2013 and September 2016. One or two campaigns alone will not be enough to reach this objective.
Since the start of the 1st campaign, in September 2013, locust populations have been controlled on nearly 993 000 hectares.
The three-year programme, jointly prepared by FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture, in response to the plague focuses on:
- Improving the monitoring and analysis of the locust situation o Large-scale aerial control operations
- Monitoring and mitigating the impact of locust control operations on human health and the environment
- Assessing the effectiveness of each locust campaign and the impact of locusts on crops and pastures
On 23 April 2014, the Government of Japan signed a funding agreement of USD 2 million to contribute to the 2014/2015 locust campaign. The current funding gap exceeds USD 15 million. All funds are required to fully implement the programme, else the plague could severely affect a family’s ability to provide for itself.