Mauritania asks for international help to deal with Locusts invasion

Mauritania has launched an urgent appeal to the international community to help this country deal with the invasion of locusts.

Mauritania's ministry of Rural development on Thursday said that despite efforts that allowed to "take control of an important part of affected areas in the Center of the country," "new swamps, that continue to grow, infest the North of the country."

Moroccan and Mauritanian specialists are working together since December to treat the infested areas.

Mauritania produces around 180,000 Tons of wheat a year but its output was seriously damaged by the locusts invasion.

Neighboring countries are closely monitoring the situation in Mauritania, in particular Morocco where the locust situation is, according to officials from the anti-locust central coordination post officials, presently under control as 100,000 hectares in the southern cities of Dakhla, Laayoune, Guelmim and Tata were sprayed with pesticides.