Flight restrictions due to COVID 19 causes fight against locust invasion in East Africa

Flight restrictions amidst Coronavirus outbreak are obstructing efforts to combat desert locust invasion in East Africa. East African countries such as Somali, Ethiopia, Kenya are in a dual shock suffering from COVID-19 and desert locust outbreak which started early 2020. The flight restrictions to combat the outbreak of COVID-19 in Kenya are causing a delay in deliveries of pesticides and, at the current rate of spraying stocks in Kenya are expected to run out soon and further threaten food security.

East African countries are faced with the closure of their borders, reducing cargo flights and disrupting global supply chains, including the production of pesticides in Europe and Asia.