Throughout the year, parts of East Africa have been suffering record-setting waves of locust swarms. In the past few months, even more swarms have dramatically struck parts of Yemen, Pakistan, and India. Farmers and communities are fearful of the damage to crops and rangeland, harming income and food supplies, all while dealing with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the swarms are the largest seen in several decades, and international efforts are being coordinated to combat the multiple swarms. Below are images from hard-hit areas in Kenya, Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Yemen, taken over recent months.
Photos: The Locust Swarms of 2020
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Locusts rest on a tree in Quetta, Pakistan, on June 12, 2020. Pakistani officials say an outbreak of desert locusts is spreading across the country, posing a threat to food security. #
Arshad Butt / AP -
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A small airplane sprays a locust swarm that has been roosting over night in Samburu County, Kenya, on May 23, 2020. GPS coordinates are sent from trackers on the ground the evening before, when the locusts have settled down for the night. #
Fredrik Lerneryd / Getty -
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A farmer shows dead locusts found in his field at Badra Sonauti, a village on the outskirts of Allahabad, India, on June 10, 2020. Swarms currently plague large zones in the country. #
Sanjay Kanojia / AFP / Getty -
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