About three months ago, locust swarms began entering east Africa from Yemen. In
January, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia experienced the worst locust infestations
they’ve had in over 25 years. The locusts destroy crops and damage food supplies.
On Tuesday, February 18, the swarms reached South Sudan, whose economy is
struggling from an ongoing civil war that began in 2013. Since 60% of Sudan’s
population already faces food insecurity, the damage caused by locust swarms is not
something the country can afford to deal with. Many of the East African countries are
attempting to take action, but Sudan is heavily reliant on foreign aid- the UN has called
for countries to fund the spraying of insecticide in affected areas, and US Secretary
of State Mike Pompeo has pledged $8 million to help fight off the swarms.
January, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia experienced the worst locust infestations
they’ve had in over 25 years. The locusts destroy crops and damage food supplies.
On Tuesday, February 18, the swarms reached South Sudan, whose economy is
struggling from an ongoing civil war that began in 2013. Since 60% of Sudan’s
population already faces food insecurity, the damage caused by locust swarms is not
something the country can afford to deal with. Many of the East African countries are
attempting to take action, but Sudan is heavily reliant on foreign aid- the UN has called
for countries to fund the spraying of insecticide in affected areas, and US Secretary
of State Mike Pompeo has pledged $8 million to help fight off the swarms.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-51547573
1. What actions can Sudan take to try and fight off the locust invasions?
2. Should other countries be providing Sudan with more help? If yes, how?
3. If the locust swarms can not be contained, how will Sudan’s economy be affected?
1. What actions can Sudan take to try and fight off the locust invasions?
2. Should other countries be providing Sudan with more help? If yes, how?
3. If the locust swarms can not be contained, how will Sudan’s economy be affected?
Other countries should provide Sudan with more help because Locusts feed of crops and with the amount that Sudan is experiencing the Locusts can destroy a majority of the crops. This could cause problems in trade and a shortage of food for the people in Sudan. The people would also try to cross other borders and cause a more global problem. If the locust swarms can't be contained Sudan's economy would collapse because according to heritage.org almost half of the population are reliant on subsistence agriculture.
ReplyDeletesource: https://www.heritage.org/index/country/sudan
I agree with your opinions. Since so many people is Sudan already have food shortages, it's very unfortunate that so much crop is being lost to locusts. And I also agree that the economy would worsen if the swarms can't be contained, as it is already struggling.
DeleteReplying to question 1, I believe they should request for foreign aid. One thing that I would not suggest would be the massive use of pesticides, as many Sudanese citizens may be affected by the toxins used in pesticide, especially in such large amounts. If they are going to use pesticides, they should evacuate a certain area and spray it down before allowing people back in. Otherwise, the toxins will spread if not properly contained. They should plan a route of the locust swarm, and then deal with it accordingly. Because it is a swarm, it makes things much harder to deal with as more manpower and resources must be used to fight the swarm.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Sudan could use pesticides to fight off this invasion as it is a very common way of fighting large swarms. However, in Sudan they may lack the resources, so they could resort to other countries such as the US for support even more than they already have. If the locust swarm can't be contain, then many crops will be killed which mean a loss of food for the people of Sudan. As many people in Sudan are malnutritioned, this could be devastating and Sudan's economy will drop.
ReplyDeleteBecause of the civil war in South Sudan and the current state of their economy, there isn't much the country can do to fight the locust swarms themselves. The best thing for South Sudan is to continue to receive foreign aid. Using the help from other countries, I think it is best to use pesticides on crops. South Sudan cannot afford to lose anymore farmland as more than half of the population does not get enough food.
ReplyDelete1. While I understand the severity of the incident and the need to repel insects quickly, the use of insecticide seems like a near sighted solution. Clearly, if locusts are permitted to prey upon the current harvest countless people will starve; however, the use of pesticides has been proven to cause health issues. By using pesticides on these fields the problem will be temporarily solved, but more issues will arise in the future. For example, exposure to these toxic chemicals has been linked with an increased risk of cancer and other diseases. In order to ensure the protection of these people for the present and long term more natural methods should be used to rebel the locusts.
ReplyDeleteIf the locust swarms can't be contained I think Sudan will suffer substantial damage to both its economy and the health of its citizens. Being that its population already has 60% of its people struggling with food insecurity, a hit to agriculture has the potential to raise this percentage even higher. Since (I'm assuming) agriculture plays a relatively big role in its economy, I think that the locust may take a large toll on it as well. Locusts are known for leaving nothing behind, and in a sense I think that is what will happen to Sudan if this issue continues. Its people will be hungry, its economy will be in shambles, and it will struggle to survive.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what specific actions a person can take against locusts swarms, which is equivalent to a natural disaster. However, other countries can help by sending resources and anything else Sudan may need until they are able to get re-supply what Sudan lost.
ReplyDeleteBecause Sudan is a major crop exporter in Africa, these locust swarms will destroy their economy. This will put them in a situation similar to their neighbor, Somalia. This economic destruction could lead farmers to earn money by any means possible, similar to how fisherman in Somalia resorted to piracy. This locust plague needs to be dealt with quickly and effectively, to prevent Sudan from falling into a similar situation as Somalia
ReplyDeleteI think that other countries should try and aid Sudan because they are obviously struggling. It the locust aren't not contained, their whole economy could crash. Sudans economy is so reliant on their crop production and if it is completely destroyed it would be a great loss for Sudan, one they may not even be able to come back from.
ReplyDeleteI think other countries should provide Sudan with foreign aid because it is one of the poorest countries in the world and its economy can't afford to lose their crops to the locusts. Sudan is very reliant on their food production to produce money, and with the locusts destroying it, it could completely obliterate the already struggling economy.
ReplyDeleteI don't think there is much that Sudan can do to fight the locust swarms themselves, so the best option for them is going to be continuing to receive foreign aid from other countries who have more resources. These locust swarms will destroy Sudan's economy (which is already falling apart) and will limit food production. This might cause families to not be able to make money and more people will starve.
ReplyDeleteI think america should help with sudan. Sudan has very large borders and this kind of instability can leak to other countries as well. Not only that sudan is a vital point of intrest for the US and china due to the amounts of oil there and its location in the red sea.so aiding sudan would not only help them it would also help us set up a bulwark against chinese expansionism in africa
ReplyDeleteI think that Sudan should try to protect their crops with insecticide and try to have the government fund some of that. I think that other countries should be helping Sudan buy insecticide but how much help they should provide should be up to them. The UN shouldn't force unwilling countries to help. If the locusts can't be contained, then many in Sudan will starve and maybe die. This would be bad for the economy because they would have to buy more food to feed their citizens.
ReplyDelete