Parts of Africa are covered by a dark cloud. But this is no rain cloud. It is a living cloud made of billions of locusts (蝗虫) that are traveling across the continent eating everything in their path.
And now in the battle to stop this disaster, a radio station in Senegal, West Africa, is offering listeners 50 kilograms of rice if they can catch and kill 50 kilograms of locusts. "We think this idea will get more people to take part in the war on the locusts," said Abdoulaye Ba, from Sud-FM, a radio station in one of Senegal's worst affected areas.
This is West Africa's biggest locust disaster in 15 years, and it is moving east, causing huge damage to crops. As they move, they produce young and increase their number and will soon threaten(威胁) Sudan in the northeast of Africa. Some say it could reach Asia. Experts say the harmful effect on crops in areas already suffering from food shortage and war could cause many people to go hungry. Governments in the areas are not well equipped to fight the pest.
Although leaders of 12 countries have agreed on a plan, it is not expected to be enough. "We are now treating 6,000 hectares(公顷) per day with pesticide (杀虫剂), but we need to treat 20,000 hectares per day in order to have any hope of controlling this disaster," said Mohamed Abdallahi Ould Babah, director of locust control in Mauritania.
"Requests are being made for international aid, which is the only way to limit the disaster," ,the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization warned.
