The Desert Locust situation continued to remain calm during December. The very small outbreak continues in northwest Mauritania where hoppers completed development after the first dekad and only groups of immature adults were present.

In Morocco, low numbers of adults were observed in the southern Western Sahara. Ground teams treated 2 264 and 562 ha in Mauritania and Morocco respectively. Low numbers of adults were seen in Niger, Algeria and Egypt. In Sudan and Yemen, low numbers of hoppers and adults were observed along the Red Sea coast and the Gulf of Aden. During the forecast, locusts will decrease in northwest Mauritania due to control and only low numbers will remain. Similar, locusts should decrease in northern Mauritania and Western Sahara of Morocco. No significant rainfall or vegetation is expected in the next six weeks except perhaps in northern Mauritania and the central Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia and maybe Sudan.

Low numbers of hoppers and adults are likely to continue in the Red Sea coast of Sudan, Yemen, and perhaps Egypt. In Saudi Arabia, low numbers of adults may occur on the Red Sea coast and breed on a small scale. No significant development is likely.

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations