Maghreb region on alert for locust invasion

Tunisia’s Union of Agriculture and Fisheries has issued an urgent appeal for regional assistance with Libya and Algeria to help confront a rapidly growing desert locust threat. The warning follows confirmed sightings of locust activity in southern Tunisia, near Libya’s western border. According to local media, officials fear that the swarms could spread into Libya, where vast agricultural lands in the south and central areas remain vulnerable due to fragile environmental monitoring and limited pest control capacity. Locusts pose serious risks to agriculture and food security across the region.