Breeding continuing in NW Africa while other areas remain calm
Desert Locust breeding is still in progress in northern Mauritania and in adjacent areas of Western Sahara where locusts formed small groups of adults and, to a lesser extent, hoppers. Ground control operations have increased in both areas. Although breeding is likely to continue during March and cause a further increase in locust numbers and the formation of hopper and adult groups, the situation is expected to remain under control. As temperatures increase, low to moderate numbers of adults could move to spring breeding areas south of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco and Algeria and breed if rainfall occurs.
In the Central Region, low numbers of locusts continue to persist in parts of the winter breeding areas along both sides of the Red Sea in Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. As very little rain has fallen recently, vegetation is drying out and breeding is expected to decline in the winter breeding areas. The situation remains less clear in the interior of southern Yemen where ecological conditions are expected to be favourable as a result of two cyclones in November. There is a risk that locusts may be present and breeding. If so, adult groups could form as vegetation dries out and move towards Oman.
In Southwest Asia, the situation remains calm. Small-scale breeding is likely to occur in parts of southeastern Iran.