Billions of locusts swarming through East Africa are the result of extreme weather swings and could prove catastrophic for a region still reeling from drought and deadly floods, experts said Friday. The locusts, he said, were the latest symptom of extreme conditions that saw 2019 start with a drought and end in one of the wettest rainy seasons in four decades in some parts — with floods killing hundreds across East Africa. – Not ‘the end of times’ –Artan said the invasion had come after a year of extremes which included eight cyclones off East Africa, the most in a single year since 1976. “We know East Africa is one of the most vulnerable to climate change. According to the regional Food Security and Nutrition Working Group, East Africa is already experiencing a high degree of food insecurity, with over 19 million people experiencing acute hunger.

Source: Egypt Independent January 24, 2020 16:41 UTC