Iranian envoy warns against desert locust attack

KARACHI: Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Pakistan, has made some comments on the attack of desert locust and the need for regional cooperation.

He said emergence of new challenges like virus originated global pandemics, climate change, pollution and infest of locusts require timely and collective response. He warned that infestation of locusts from different sides threatens food supply for millions of people in Iran and Pakistan.

This year, the unusually warm and wet winter allowed an extra generation of breeding, meaning that the desert locust infestations will be much larger than normal and pose a major risk for the region.

The envoy said it was predicted that the locust may swarm Iran and Pakistan in the worst desert locust outbreak in the last 50 years. In this regard, the two countries need more and early cooperation to prevent this disaster.

The best way of preventing such horrible attack that can damage thousands of hectares of agricultural lands is early warning, spreading pesticides and countering them before breeding.

Iran and Pakistan will enhance cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and benefit from its experiences. In the fight against the desert locusts, the Plant Protection Organization (PPO) of Iran has been reporting the situation to FAO on a regular basis. Iran and Pakistan should enhance the bilateral cooperation to tackle the situation. Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Iran and Pakistan are cooperating closely to enhance the connection between the related focal points.

Iran and Pakistan have proved during the history that they can overcome their common difficulties with joint efforts. Crippling sanctions against Iran have drastically reduced resources that were supposed to be allocated to desert locust problem, he said.

If Iran won’t be able to control the pests, Pakistan will also be damaged. So, the subject of sanctions and its consequences is not just for Iran and needs raising our voice against the sanctions.