A “large-scale” outbreak of the Moroccan Locust, one of the world’s most damaging plant pests, across eight provinces in Afghanistan’s wheat basket, could cause massive crop losses and “dramatically” worsen food insecurity.

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) sounded the alarm on Wednesday after locusts were spotted in the country’s north and northeast. FAO said that a “full outbreak” this year could destroy up to 1.2 million metric tonnes of wheat, or a quarter of the total annual harvest.

Sightings of locusts at different development stages have been made in Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Kunduz, Samangan, Sar-e-Pul and Takhar, with fresh reports coming in from Heart and Ghor provinces.

Left untreated, the Moroccan Locust population could increase 100-fold in the next year, according to FAO. Earlier this year, the UN World Food Programme warned that six million Afghans were one step away from famine.

The Moroccan Locust is ranked among the most economically damaging plant pests anywhere in the world, and the value of the potential loss, adds up to between $280 million and a staggering $480 million, going by today’s prices, FAO warned.

FAO warned that there is not a single crop which is spared from Moroccan Locust damage.If numbers do increase up to 100-fold, it would create even bigger problems for agriculture and food security in Afghanistan, and neighbouring countries.

If the Moroccan locust population is left untreated, it could increase its numbers by 100-fold in the next year, creating even bigger problems for agriculture and food security for Afghanistan and that of its neighbours.