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U.N. sounds alarm as record-breaking swarms of locusts consume crops in five countries and threaten to spread further.

Locust plague

They are calling it the worst locust plague in decades. As swarms of locusts consume crops and threaten millions, the U.N. says if the outbreak is not contained, it could reach more than thirty countries in Africa and Asia and cause global pandemonium.

The creatures causing all the commotion are desert locusts, the most devastating of all locust species. Desert locusts can consume their weight in food each day and travel over 90 miles each day in search of crops. As the travelling swarms expand into huge “clouds in the sky”, flights in the area are being diverted and, in some instances, forced to make emergency landings.

According to the U.N., extreme weather is behind the infestation. Areas of the region that are normally dry and arid have experienced record rainfall and flooding. The flooding caused severe food shortages. The locust plague is threatening to worsen the situation, compounding the problem to a scale that authorities believe could impact countries throughout the world.

If not contained quickly, officials predict the swarms could grow by 500 times by June.

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