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•Massive locust swarms have been destroying crops across huge stretches of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East this year.


•Kenya had its worst infestation in 70 years, while India, Ethiopia, and Somalia haven't been devastated this badly in decades.


•Experts say the locusts have been thriving due to climate change, poor monitoring, and a lack of resources caused by the pandemic.


•Aid groups and local governments have managed to kill about 450 billion locusts this year. But with funding running out in August, that effort could be in vain.


•In a worst-case scenario, an additional 5 million people will go hungry because of the swarms' devastation.


•Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.


Massive swarms of locusts have devastated large swathes of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East since January, threatening food supplies for millions.

This year, Kenya had its worst infestation in 70 years, and India, Ethiopia, and Somalia had the worst infestations they've had in 25 years.

The reason for the outbreaks, according to The New York Times, is climate change, which has caused warmer weather and more rain —ideal conditions for locusts to thrive.

Alongs with the weather, poor monitoring due to armed conflicts — especially in war-torn Yemen, where the current outbreak began — and a lack of resources caused by the coronavirus pandemic, has led to locusts swelling in numbers that haven't been reported in decades.