The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation says the locust infestation poses an ‘unprecedented threat’ to food security and livelihoods in East Africa. EPA
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation says the locust infestation poses an ‘unprecedented threat’ to food security and livelihoods in East Africa. EPA
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation says the locust infestation poses an ‘unprecedented threat’ to food security and livelihoods in East Africa. EPA
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation says the locust infestation poses an ‘unprecedented threat’ to food security and livelihoods in East Africa. EPA

In the eye of the swarm: the growing threat of the desert locust


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The first five weeks of 2020 have been a tumultuous time for the wider Middle East. Adding to the long list of the region’s woes is a new threat that has its origins as much in the natural world as the political one. A plague of locusts unlike any seen for decades is jeopardising the bulk of agricultural output of more than a dozen nations spanning from Egypt to India. Although there has been a flurry of press coverage and pleas for assistance from the nations involved, still not enough attention has been devoted to addressing the issue.

Billions of desert locusts have woken from their placid state and flown across two continents, posing a threat so grave as to push two of the countries affected – Pakistan and Somalia – to declare states of emergency. The numbers involved, the UN has warned, are “unprecedented”. If they are not contained, their appetites will trigger famine, destroy livelihoods for local farmers and undermine the food security of a group of countries with a combined population of nearly 2 billion.

Most worryingly, this year's iteration of the locust plague – a phenomenon that has occurred periodically in the history of the Middle East – is not strictly a product of nature. It is also widely suspected to be a consequence of climate change, the responsibility for which lies in large part with human civilisation.

Rising temperatures, rainfall and an increased number of cyclones in the Indian Ocean have provided the perfect breeding ground for locusts to multiply and swarm. Worse, the situation is compounding already-widespread poverty and food insecurity in the Horn of Africa, as well as the ongoing conflict in Yemen – one of the affected nations.

Already plagued by the dysfunction of the Houthi coup, authorities in Sanaa have proven powerless in the face of the locust outbreak, as reported in The National. Since 2014, Houthi rebels have waged war against Yemen’s internationally recognised government, seizing the capital, Sanaa, where the office charged with handling locust invasions is located. The government has set up a new anti-locust centre in the temporary capital of Aden, but all of the necessary equipment is still in Sanaa. In the words of Saleh Al Harouri, deputy manager of the Aden centre, “Our budget is zero. The office here has nothing”. Yemeni farmers – already losing huge swathes of their crop – have called for help in vain.

To say that the locust plague has descended upon multiple countries belies a more fundamental point, which is that it spreads from one to another. This means that a failure by any one country to control an outbreak immediately jeopardises all of its neighbours. The consequences of crippled pest-control institutions in places like Yemen have rippled across the Red Sea into Somalia and onward to at least eight African nations. According to the UN, the current infestation is the largest that Somalia and Ethiopia have witnessed in 25 years, and the biggest in Kenya for the past 70 years. In Somalia, climate change and desertification have already threatened agriculture, which accounts for 60 per cent of gross domestic product. The additional loss of crops to the locusts could leave many more Somalis jobless and hungry.

To say that the locust plague has descended upon multiple countries belies a more fundamental point, which is that it spreads from one to another

The UN predicts that the number of locusts will be multiplied by 500 by this summer if urgent action is not taken. Five of the countries that have been hit hardest by the outbreak rank among the 30 poorest nations of the world. The international community must come together to prevent the destruction of these countries’ harvests and the starvation of their people. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation is continuing its calls for nations to raise at least $70 million in emergency funds to stamp out this year’s infestation. But this should only be a starting point. More must be done in the way of financial assistance and political cooperation, but also on the broader topics of climate change and disaster management. The international community must go above and beyond its past efforts to assist the FAO and the nations affected in ridding the region of this scourge once and for all.

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Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

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The Penguin

Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz

Creator: Lauren LeFranc

Rating: 4/5

What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

MATCH INFO

World Cup qualifier

Thailand 2 (Dangda 26', Panya 51')

UAE 1 (Mabkhout 45 2')

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

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Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

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Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

US tops drug cost charts

The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.

Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.

In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.

Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol. 

The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.

High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tips for entertaining with ease

·         Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.

·         As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.

·         Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.

·         Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.

·         The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.

·         You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.

 

The specs

Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8

Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm

Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km

Price: Dh380,000

On sale: now 

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

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