 A dark cloud looms in the distance. A swarm of desert locusts approaches, ready to devour any vegetation in its path. This is what millions feared between 2018 and 2021, after two cyclones hit Saudi Arabia, Oman and Yemen in 2018, leaving fertile grounds for locust populations to increase 8,000 fold. With each square kilometer of locusts being able to consume the same amount of food as 35,000 people, situation was critical. Locusts quickly branched out, having a severe impact in the greater Horn of Africa, Yemen and Southwest Asia, while threatening the West African region. Urgent action was necessary to control the insect. Thus, FAO's Global Desert Locust Emergency Response was launched, raising $243 million to support the actions between 2020 and 2022. Thanks to the support of over 33 partners and the remarkable contributions by countries, FAO stepped in to coordinate the efforts and responded to the upsurge to safeguard the livelihoods of the affected communities. The response helped swift action to take place in the Southwest Asia region, allowing countries to quickly control the insect by late 2020. Anticipatory actions were implemented, and rapid response capabilities were strengthened to prevent the locust invasion in West Africa. In the greater Horn of Africa in Yemen, Desert Locusts found suitable brooding grounds in the vast desert and remote areas. Coupled with the adverse weather conditions and, initially, countries unpreparedness, the region experienced some of the most devastating effects of Desert Locusts, with the insect brooding mostly uncontrolled. Significant efforts were put in place to neutralize the threat. Throughout the crisis, 27 aircraft flew to treat more than 5 million acres of affected areas. Some 3.8 thousand people were trained to control Desert Locusts on the ground, using 162 vehicles and 6.6 thousand sprayers. FAO's response in the greater Horn of Africa in Yemen led to saving 4.6 million metric tons of cereal, 900 million litres of milk, and avoided the economic loss of $1.8 billion. Effectively, protecting some 41.5 million people from food insecurity. All through the crisis, FAO encouraged countries to prevent collateral damage while controlling locusts. This was done by promoting the use of biopesticides and insect growth regulators in affected countries. This approach allowed countries such as Somalia to control the upsurge, using solely biopesticides and insect growth regulators, pioneering safer solutions at a large scale. FAO's regional commissions played a central role in helping countries tackle the upsurge by providing regional coordination, technical support, and assisting with equipment triangulation. During the emergency, FAO and its partners strengthened countries' institutional capacities, looking at the future for long-term solutions. In Sudan, a regional locust management centre was established. In Somalia, two national locust control centres were built, and five centres are being built in Yemen. By the early 2022, after a long-fought campaign, the upsurge was eliminated in East Africa and Yemen. The FAO Global Early Warning System continues to monitor weather, environmental conditions, and locusts daily, to provide timely forecasts to affected countries as well as the international community to prevent future outbreaks. Locust outbreaks are cyclical events. If optimal conditions for desert locust breeding recur, the cycle restarts. Early warning efforts and country preparedness are key to preventing and avoiding damage from desert locusts. Through coordination, expertise, and innovation, FAO continues to support locust-prone countries to prevent future upsurges.