RIYADH: The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has deployed 40 field teams to fight desert locusts.
The teams will operate south of Riyadh (Wadi Al-Dawasir, Al-Sulayyil, and Al-Aflaj), southeast of Asir (Ahad Rafidah, Sarat Abidah, Wadi bin Hashbal, Tathleeth, Bisha, Tareeb, and Al-Khanqah, and their affiliated centers), Najran’s governorates and eastern desert, and the eastern Taif highlands in the Makkah region.
The ministry said that the Locust Control and Migratory Pest Center is implementing efforts to fight the locust problem in targeted areas, where the extent of the risk has been assessed.
Teams are specially equipped to fight the locust invasion, which began as an outbreak in Yemen, Oman and the Empty Quarter.
A total of 24 pest control teams, nine exploration teams, five supervision and monitoring teams and two maintenance teams have been formed to counter the threat.
Teams will be supplied with over 15,000 liters of pesticides as well as safety tools, spare parts, oil, and fuel as logistical support to aid the operation. SPA Riyadh
Measures aim to reduce breeding in the regions and meet the threat of swarms crossing from Oman and Yemen.
Abnormal rainfall in the south of the Arabian Peninsula has coincided with the summer migration of the locust swarms from East Africa toward southwest Asia (India and Pakistan), the ministry said.
