Algeria, 1966 - A 42-nation, six-year project for controlling the desert locust, sponsored by the U.N. Development Program and executed by FAO, came to an end on 30 June 1966. The desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) has plagued the northern half of Africa and countries in the Near East and South West Asia for thousands of years. It is now in ^recession^, probably due to control activities under international co-ordination and also to natural causes. In all the desert locust areas emphasis is being given to continued vigilance by carrying out systematic surveys to obtain information on locust populations and to control any outbreaks which occur. Pictured: One of the salt caravans which travel on 30-day regular schedules between the Hoggar mountains and Mali or NIger. They are a souce of valuable information on locust movements.