Outbreak amid an outbreak

Aid agencies have reported that swarms of locusts have been descending on farms in Kenya, destroying crops and leaving pastures bare of vegetation.

This swarm of desert locusts trying to escape an aircraft's pesticide spray in Meru city on Feb 9 is hardly a unique sight in the country or in East Africa, which has endured a spate of locust outbreaks in recent times.

But there is a glimmer of hope, as it has been more than a year since the worst desert locust infestation in decades hit the region.

While another wave of the insects is spreading through Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, the use of cutting-edge technology and improved coordination is helping to crush the ravenous swarms and protect the livelihoods of thousands of farmers.

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