Desert Locusts

According to the content of the Desert Locust Bulletins Nos. 553-556 of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the overall situation of desert locusts in October 2024 was relatively calm. There was a small-scale outbreak in Sudan, and there were a small number of scattered adult locusts in Pakistan and India, and the situation was stable. In November, locust outbreaks occurred in Sudan and Niger. In December, locust outbreaks continued in Niger and Sudan, and locust swarms also appeared along the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. In January 2025, the outbreaks of desert locusts in Sudan, Eritrea, the Sahel region in northern Niger, and southern Algeria were still ongoing.

It is expected that in the future, the breeding activities along the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia, Eritrea, and Egypt will continue. A small number of locusts may appear in southeastern Iran and southwestern Pakistan, but it is unlikely that there will be major changes in this region. In February, new locust swarms may appear along the coast of Sudan and in central Saudi Arabia. Relevant regions need to continue prevention and control efforts.

Figure A2.1. The Distribution of Desert Locusts from October 2024 to January 2025 (https://www.fao.org/locust-watch/en)

Figure A2.2 Countries and Regions with Food Insecurity from November 2024 to May 2025 Released by WFP and FAO

Early Warning for Severely Food Insecure Areas

Recently, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) jointly released the "Hunger Hotspots: FAO-WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity, November 2024 to May 2025 Outlook". The content shows that the severe food insecurity situation in 22 countries and regions will worsen both in scale and severity. The hotspots requiring the highest level of attention include Sudan, Palestine, South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali. There is a risk of famine or actual famine in these regions, and some of the population is in a state of disaster.

The hotspots that require a high level of attention include Chad, Lebanon, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nigeria, Syria, and Yemen. A large number of people in these regions are facing or are expected to face severe acute food insecurity, and the situation is severe.

The factors contributing to food insecurity include the La Niña phenomenon, which increases the risks of drought, floods, and hurricanes in some regions. There are differences in global economic growth, and developing countries are facing poverty and debt problems. In 2024, humanitarian funding decreased for the second consecutive year, there is a large gap in the funding requirements of the food security sector, and armed violent conflicts have led to the disruption of the food system and population displacement, among other issues.

Monitoring should be strengthened, assistance should be provided, and people's livelihoods should be improved. Although countries and regions such as Afghanistan, Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, and some countries in Central America have not been listed as hotspots, their food security situations are worthy of attention and require continuous monitoring.