Desert locusts are the most destructive migratory agricultural pests globally, with a small swarm capable of consuming as much food in one day as 35,000 people. The upsurge that began affecting South Sudan in April 2020 was driven by climate change and conflict. Two cyclones hit the Arabian Peninsula in 2018, preventing effective swarm control due to ongoing conflicts in Yemen and Somalia. By April 2020, 23 countries were affected. Swarms reached South Sudan in March 2020, damaging over 20,000 hectares of crops; insecurity and COVID-19 restrictions prevented a full damage assessment. South Sudan's reliance on food imports from neighboring countries such as Uganda, Kenya, and Sudan exacerbated the situation as these countries also suffered significant damage from the locusts.
Emergency support from bilateral donors and the United Nations helped control swarms but was limited for recovery efforts due to pre-existing humanitarian crises, with over 60 percent of South Sudan’s population already severely food insecure.
The Emergency Locust Response Program (ELRP) responded to this threat by working to restore food security and strengthen systems for preparedness. ELRP funds built capacity for surveillance and control while supporting vulnerable households' food security and helping communities restore crop and livestock production using ecologically friendly approaches. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) enhanced coordination for pest management at regional and national levels.
Swarm surveillance and control are critical elements for early warning to avoid spread and devise response mechanisms. ELRP contributed to improving food security and resilience in South Sudan by establishing a Food Security Council and preparing a Food Security Crisis Preparedness Plan (FSCPP). The FSCPP was approved by the Council of Ministers in July 2024, awaiting presidential decree for implementation.
Between August 2022 and February 2024, ELRP provided support for those directly affected by locust swarms while building capacity against future swarms. The project trained state and county officials on pest surveillance across nine counties, surveyed nearly 27,000 hectares of farmland affected by pests, provided emergency fodder for livestock-holding households, restored pasture areas, supported households with direct income support through Labor-Intensive Public Works (LIPW), established community assets like access roads and tree nurseries, produced seedlings of various tree species, completed dikes and water channels projects.
“We care about the infrastructure these projects have brought to the people of Bor town in Jonglei state,” said a project beneficiary from Bor town in March 2023.
The ELRP comprises three phases with a total financial commitment of $375.7 million supporting five countries and one regional organization. The South Sudan project received a $50.7 million grant from the International Development Association ($13.2 million) and from the Crisis Response Window Early Response Financing ($37.5 million).
The Ministry of Agriculture contracted UNOPS to implement direct income support activities while FAO implemented other aspects of the project due to its logistical capacity across difficult areas.
IGAD’s Climate Prediction Center manages a platform coordinating transboundary pest response among member states with key stakeholders including DLCO-EA, CABI, ICIPE, FAO, ESA among others. ESA uses earth observation data to assess damage from desert locust swarms which behave like tornadoes quickly destroying vegetation over large areas.
Looking ahead improved surveillance capacity increased preparedness through membership in regional platforms investments in services like community nurseries will continue serving South Sudanese people assisting development FSCPP anticipate drivers food insecurity help government coordinate respond effectively future crises highlighting importance preparedness pest control food security early warning experience shown investment job creation opportunities catalyzed moving toward crisis prevention mode policy regulatory reforms research partnerships private sector opportunities trade manufacturing services needed control transboundary pests Djibouti Ethiopia Somalia signed MOU coordinate efforts pest management endorsing protocols prepared IGAD review policies regulations underway guidelines harmonize registration biopesticides IGAD member countries endorsed Djibouti Ethiopia Somalia IGAD manages transboundary pest platform raising awareness working European Space Agency machine learning maximize satellite data remote sensing predict breeding sites measure damage expanded other transboundary pests time