SANAA, 11 July 2007 (IRIN) - The Yemeni authorities have sent teams to combat desert locusts in southern Yemen after UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) eradication operations failed to start as scheduled on 28 June.

Officials at Yemen's Desert Locust Control Centre (DLCC) are worried the locusts are increasing in number and, if not controlled, could damage crops. The government's capabilities are limited and international support is needed to prevent the locusts spreading to other countries, they said.

DLCC Director-General Abdu Farei al-Rumaih told IRIN on 11 July the latest bombing in the governorate of Marib was the main reason for the delay in FAO operations.

FAO said a three-month US$2.6 million eradication campaign was due to target locust-affected areas in the governorates of Hadhramaut, Shabwa and al-Mahra over a 31,000sqkm area.

"The [FAO] operation's aeroplanes have not arrived, and we had to start combating the locusts using our own capabilities," al-Rumaih said.

"Locusts have caused damage to corn and palm trees in some areas of Hadhramaut Governorate, as well as in Shabwa," he said, adding that they had multiplied and spread to other areas. Between 300 and 500 locusts are found in each square metre, he said.

Over 26 vehicles and 108 field experts have been sent to the affected areas. The country has been on alert since February 2007.

New FAO campaign in July

FAO said in a statement on 4 July that desert locusts had infested large areas in the remote interior along the southern edge of the Empty Quarter, stretching from Marib to the border with Oman.

"Locust numbers are likely to increase dramatically as a second generation of breeding continues in these areas. Agricultural crops in Wadi Hadhramaut and other areas including the Sanaa highlands could be at risk," FAO said.

FAO said it was organising an emergency aerial control campaign in the interior of Yemen to start later this month. According to FAO, the $5million campaign will be financed by the UN Central Emergency Response Fund ($2.4 million) and the government of Japan ($2 million), with the government of Yemen providing the rest.

The funds will support two helicopters, pesticides, equipment, vehicles, and locust control and logistics experts, it added.

"If the campaign is not successful, there is a risk of numerous swarms forming and invading countries along both sides of the Red Sea during the autumn," FAO warned.

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