Russia donates $10m to support fight locusts in East Africa

Addis Ababa, April 29, 2020 (FBC) -The Russian Federation has donated $10 million to FAO to assist the fight against the desert locust outbreak in Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda.

The funds will be used to buy pesticides, fuel, vehicles and sprayers, as well as for the employment and training of personnel for the pest’s elimination.

FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, welcomed the donation.

“We are grateful to the Russian Federation for its contribution to help fight the alarming impact of the Desert Locust upsurge. It will help efforts to stop the spread of the locusts and to safeguard the livelihoods of farmers and their families who are at risk from this scourge,” Qu said.

So far FAO has received $117.3 million in donations from national governments, foundations and other organizations.