Billions of locusts -- everywhere the eye can see , eating most everything in sight . That 's the harsh reality affecting roughly half the island nation of Madagascar , infested by swarms of the bugs flying in sometimes mile-long packs . Run for 30 to 45 minutes , and you still might not be able to shake them . `` It 's like you are in a movie , it 's incredible , '' said Alexandre Huynh of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization , or FAO , from the country 's capital of Antananarivo . `` You do n't see anything except locusts . You turn around , there are locusts everywhere . '' Locusts ' targets are n't people , but they do ravenously devour what people eat -- directly in the form of crops , and indirectly in the form of pastureland that livestock and other animals graze on . Without concerted and effective action , experts say the crisis could very easily prove deadly in a nation such as Madagascar , where the U.N. estimates more than two-thirds of residents lived in poverty before this crisis . Doing nothing would mean the locust plague could spread across two-thirds of the island , which sits in the Indian Ocean off Africa 's southeastern coast . Even after a lull in winter , they 'd wake up in the spring in greater numbers and , without action , remain a devastating presence for a full decade , Huynh said . This year 's infestation is the worst since the 1950s . Older farmers who remember that crisis and see the big swarms nowadays `` stop farming , because they know that it 's useless , '' said Huynh , the FAO 's emergency and rehabilitation coordinator in Madagascar . `` They know there 's hunger coming on . '' Photos : Locusts plague the Holy Land . By virtue of its distinct location , Madagascar is one of the world 's most ecologically diverse areas . About 90 % of its plant species exist nowhere else on the planet , according to the Wildlife Conservation Society , and many of its bird , reptile and animal species -- including all the world 's lemurs in the wild -- are endemic . The quality of life , however , for Madagascar 's more than 22 million people is low compared to many other countries . Some 77 % of its residents live on less than $ 1.25 per day , according to UNICEF official Natascha Paddison . It 's infant mortality rate of 47.40 deaths per 1,000 live births ranks 47th highest out of 223 ranked by the CIA World Factbook . The situation has been compounded by natural disasters like Tropical Cyclone Haruna that killed at least 23 people and adversely affected some 22,000 others , as well as a prolonged political crisis after an effective military coup in 2009 . That was followed by criticism of Madagascar 's new leaders -- such as from U.S. Embassy Charge d'Affaires Eric Wong , who noted reports that press freedoms had been restricted , political enemies were being held for years without trial , and civilians were raped or executed while their villages burned . The criticism contributed to a sharp drop in foreign aid , which accounted for 70 % of the government budget . Using the Xbox to study locust swarms . But the international community remains involved in Madagascar -- including the United States , which donates $ 70 million annually . Even more help is urgently needed , FAO officials said , in order to prevent an even worse humanitarian crisis tied to the locust plague . Long-term , the U.N. organization is seeking $ 19 million for an early warning system -- so the next time locusts appear , authorities can act quickly and decisively to prevent their spread . But it 's too late for that this time , Huynh said . That 's why the agency is seeking $ 22 million through June to carry out a large-scale spraying operation . These figures do not include whatever food and humanitarian assistance Madagascar could need . `` There is no more use in preventing anything , '' said Huynh , stressing the pressing need to fight the infestation . `` It is really an emergency situation . ''
Billions of locusts infest half of Madagascar and could cover 2/3 of the island nation . Without action , the flying bugs could plague the country for 10 years , a U.N. official says . `` You turn around , there are locusts everywhere , '' he says , noting swarms stretch for miles . Locusts devour crops and pastureland , which could devastate Madagascar 's poor .