IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 962 

Expressing support for assisting East African countries afflicted by the plague 

of desert locusts. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 8, 2020 

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself and Ms. BASS) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for assisting East African countries 

afflicted by the plague of desert locusts. 

Whereas the United States Agency for International Development reports that East Africa is currently suffering the 

worst locust outbreak in decades, which will devour crops 

and pasture across that region; 

Whereas there are more than 25 million people experiencing 

severe food insecurity in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South 

Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Sudan, and untold more 

will be at risk if the locusts, currently in their most vulnerable state, are not controlled using airborne pesticides, 

before they mature into full grown locusts; 

Whereas the World Food Programme (WFP) reports that 

there may be insufficient resources to conduct aerial 


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•HRES 962 IH 

spraying to address the outbreak of desert locusts that is 

currently devastating East Africa; 

Whereas the locust situation in the Horn of Africa, particularly in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia represents an unprecedented threat to food security and livelihoods; 

Whereas a relatively small investment now to help eradicate 

the locusts will obviate or ameliorate the need for a much 

larger United States emergency aid effort later; 

Whereas Executive Director for the WFP David Beasley recently stated ‘‘Do nothing now and WFP will need up to 

15 times that amount—more than US $1 billion—to assist people devastated by losing crops and livelihoods.’’; 

Whereas United States Ambassador to the United Nations 

food agencies in Rome Kip Tom has been coordinating 

efforts between the WFP and the Food and Agriculture 

Organization (FAO), offering support for locust eradication efforts and calling attention to areas which FAO 

needs to better address, including the safe application of 

pesticides, management of weak supply chains, coordination of aerial eradication campaigns, and use of digital 

surveillance tools; 

Whereas air assets capable of being deployed to support locust control efforts in East Africa potentially include the 

United States Air Force 910 Airlift Wing, based in 

Youngstown, Ohio, and those of contractors whose planes 

are routinely used by the United States Government; and 

Whereas prioritization of responses to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and travel restrictions 

resulting from the pandemic have created additional 

logistical challenges to locust eradication efforts, includVerDate Sep 11 2014 17:09 May 09, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR962.IH HR962

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•HRES 962 IH 

ing delays in procurement and delivery of material: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the coordination efforts of United 

3 States Ambassador to the United Nations food agen4 cies in Rome Kip Tom between the World Food Pro5 gramme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Orga6 nization (FAO); and 

7 (2) calls upon the President to— 

8 (A) elevate locust eradication efforts 

9 among relevant United States Government 

10 agencies to immediately address the emerging 

11 food security crisis in East Africa; 

12 (B) allocate appropriate air assets to sup13 port locust eradication efforts in East Africa; 

14 and 

15 (C) direct the Administrator of the United 

16 States Agency for International Development to 

17 immediately mobilize personnel from the Office 

18 of Foreign Disaster Assistance to determine 

19 further types of assistance the United States 

20 may provide in East Africa. 

Æ 


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