The Near East Regional Office of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations will organize in collaboration with FAO Commission and Locust Group, Rome and a consultant from the United States, a Contingency Planning Desert Locust workshop from 9:00 a.m. in its HQs in Cairo, Egypt (11, El-Eslah El-Zerai Street, Dokki) during the period from 2 - 6 August 2009.

The workshop will be attended by FAO’s Emergency Prevention System (EMPRES) Liaison Officers and Directors of Locust Control Centres from: Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen, in addition to a representative from the Desert Locust Control Organization for Eastern Africa (DLCO-EA).

The main objective of the workshop is to alert and prepare the countries for any Desert Locust outbreak or emergency.