Outskirts of Somalia’s Capital is Under Siege by Damaging Locusts.

The outskirts of Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, is under siege by swarms of locusts that officials fear will ruin vegetation and potentially impact tourism. 

The locusts arrived outside Mogadishu on Saturday in the Danvile District, devastating vegetation and pastures. 

Danvile administration official Abdiaziz Dahir is calling on the government to help save the impacted area, which he said is known for its scenery, pasture and tourism.   

Dahir said the concern is that the locust invasion will turn the entire area into arid land and impact the number of tourists who will visit the area. 

Although aerial spraying is considered the best way to get rid of the pesky locusts, some people are taking matters into their own hands, hoping to scare off the insects by making loud noises with kitchen utensils. 

The invasion of the airborne pests comes as Somalia continues to try to curb the spread of the coronavirus. 

According to the Johns Hopkins University and Medicine Coronavirus Center Somalia has confirmed more than 4,200 COVID-19 cases and 107 deaths.   

10 November 2020

VOA