Morocco faces an escalating desert locust threat as a major outbreak continues to expand across the Sahara and Mauritania, according to an alert issued by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on October 24. In the Moroccan Sahara, adult locust groups and scattered adults have been reported copulating over a 350-kilometer stretch between Tichla and Oum Dreyga. Moroccan authorities treated 1,210 hectares between October 13 and 23 in response to the growing presence of breeding populations. The outbreak, initially localized in Mauritania since August, has spread significantly due to favorable summer rains and recent additional rainfall that extended breeding activity. Mauritania treated 3,803 hectares during the same period, while Algeria addressed 222 hectares near Adrar. The FAO forecasts that second-generation breeding will continue in Mauritania and the Moroccan Sahara throughout November. New hopper bands, adult groups, and small swarms are expected to form and migrate slowly northward. Algeria may receive adult groups and small swarms first, with Morocco likely to be affected subsequently. The organization warns that control operations will likely be required in Morocco, along with Algeria, Mali, and Niger. Surveys are essential across all North African countries to monitor locust movements and prevent further escalation. Without intensified control measures in Mauritania, swarms could form and migrate to northwestern African countries.
