Kenya braces for return of devastating locust swarms
SWARMS of desert locusts have reappeared in East Africa to the dismay of farmers and villagers who witnessed them wreak havoc on their crops and pasture in previous years. Locust swarms first soared in number in late 2019, as a result of unusual weather patterns amplified by climate change. They dispersed eastwards from Yemen leaving Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia hardest hit. "In Kenya, several immature swarms are arriving every day and spreading west throughout northern and central areas," the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a statement. "Swarms have now been seen in seven counties ... compared to…