Egypt is battling the plague of locusts similar to that in Exodus 10, the desert country is preparing for a giant swarm of locusts to hit the nation long periods of rain in the neighboring country of Sudan sparked the outbreak – and now the swarm is expected to make its way to Egypt and around the Red Sea.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is due to meet in Jordan to discuss control measures for the countries that are affected, as the insects can destroy crops. The wet weather led to mass breeding, causing a huge increase, with one swarm crossing the border to Saudi Arabia in mid-January while further swarms followed a week later, according to the FAO.
The UN’s locust expert, Keith Cressman, told media that the coming weeks will be “critical” to bring the locusts under control before summer breeding begins. He added further spread of the outbreak depends on how much rain there is between March and May, as well as effective control and monitoring of the insects.
People have reacted to the news across social media – with some stating “history is repeating itself” and branding it a “self-fulfilling prophecy”, while another questioned if the swarms will spell the end of the world.