By Addis Getachew

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia

Africa’s food crisis is poised to grow worse due to a fast-expanding army worm infestation now in 25 countries and counting, said an African Union official on Saturday.

The pest stole its way into Africa from North America and first struck Nigeria, Josepha Sacho, the African Union’s commissioner for rural economy and agriculture, told reporters ahead of a summit of African leaders slated for Monday.

“Some 25 countries have now been affected,” she said, but admitted that the full extent of the economic implications and financial losses have yet to be tallied.

While currently maize crops are being affected, the pest can graze on 80 crop species, said Godfrey Bahigwa, head of the African Union’s Department for Rural Economy and Agriculture.

The infestation affects 1.5 million hectares.

He indicated an urgent need to set up a continent-wide platform and deployment of necessary resources to fight the pest.

Rain shortages have already exposed millions of Africans to hunger and in some cases famine in South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and northern Nigeria.