General Situation during November 2013
Forecast until mid-January 2014
The Desert Locust situation worsened during November along the Red Sea coast and in northwest Mauritania. Locusts continue to gregarize and form hopper bands and groups of hoppers and adults in Mauritania, Yemen, and Sudan as well as in Eritrea where an outbreak developed unexpectedly. Afew swarms formed in Sudan and Yemen. Control operations intensified in all countries. Nevertheless, a second generation of breeding will cause locust infestations to increase further in December and January. More hopper bands and small swarms are likely to form along both sides of the Red Sea and, to a lesser extent, in northwest Mauritania. All efforts are required to reduce locust numbers and the potential threat to crops in the affected countries.