Somalia hit by 'worst locust invasion in 25 years'

The United Nations food agency says Somalia is facing its worst invasion of locusts in 25 years.

The FAO said the insects had devoured tens of thousands of hectares of crops and grazing land, threatening food supplies and farming communities.

Conflict in many parts of Somalia has made it impossible to fly over locust-infested areas to spraying insecticides, which the FAO describes as the ideal control measure.

Neighbouring Ethiopia has also been badly affected.

The FAO says an average swarm of locusts destroys enough crops to feed 2,500 people for a year.