5 December 2025: A serious outbreak continues in the West

Key points:

• Overview: The Desert Locust outbreak remained serious in Mauritania and Western Sahara.
• Current situation: Numerous hopper groups and bands were present in Western Sahara and Mauritania where immature adult groups and small swarms appeared. Adult groups spread from northern Senegal to near Tiznit in Morocco. Some locusts were also found in Algeria, Chad, Niger, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen. 
• Control operations: Increased in November (30 860 ha treated) compared to October (10 180 ha).
• Forecast: Breeding will restart in Mauritania and adult groups emerge in Western Sahara. Small swarms may migrate northward from Mauritania to Morocco. Groups may appear in Mali, Niger, Algeria and Sudan.

In November, the locust outbreak remained serious in Mauritania and Western Sahara, where numerous hopper groups and bands were present, and new immature adult groups or small swarms appeared, some reaching Senegal. In Morocco, a mature adult group reached near Tiznit. Mature groups and scattered adults continued breeding in Western Sahara. A few adult groups, isolated adults and scattered hoppers were reported in Algeria. In Niger, isolated and scattered adults were observed, and only isolated adults were found in Chad. In the Central Region, a few isolated adults were observed along the Red Sea coasts of Egypt and Saudi Arabia, while slightly more were present in Yemen and Somalia. A few hoppers were detected in southeastern Egypt. No locusts were reported in the Eastern Region.

During the forecast period, a third generation of breeding is expected to worsen the situation in Mauritania and Western Sahara in December, with mature groups and small swarms likely to spread, followed by apparition of hopper bands in January. Winter breeding may also occur in southern Algeria, northeastern Mali, northwestern Niger and southwestern Libya. In the Central Region, small-scale breeding could begin along the Red Sea coasts of Egypt, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Yemen. No significant developments are expected in the Eastern Region. 

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