In 2020, South Sudan witnessed the first locust invasion in over 70 years. The locusts destroyed crops and grazing land in many parts of the country, significantly affecting the incomes and food security of thousands of people, the majority of whom were women. In response, the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank provided a $50.7 million grant to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS) to increase control and surveillance of new pest outbreaks, to restore livelihoods for vulnerable households and communities affected, and to create a framework for response to such outbreaks in the future. Read More