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A plague of locusts that have wreaked havoc across east Africa has been filmed swarming a motorist in an apocalyptic video.

Billions of the insects have ravaged crops across the region in what has been described as the biggest locust outbreak in decades.

It has meant millions of people that are already battling hunger in the likes of Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia are now facing further food insecurity.

Footage has now emerged online showing the sheer scale of one of the swarms.

The clip – taken at an unknown location in Kenya – shows the moment the locusts appear across the sky.

(Image: TWITTER/@CROPNUTS)

At first, they seem to be nothing but a cloud in the background.

But within seconds, the man's car is being surrounded by insects as far as the eye can see.

Soon, the sky turns black with the locusts before the man eventually escapes.

The huge swarms seen in east Africa have been attributed to unusually heavy rains, aided by a powerful cyclone off Somalia in December.

They arrived from the Arabian peninsula after cyclones dumped vast amounts of rain in the deserts of Oman – creating perfect breeding conditions.

One especially huge swarm in Kenya measured 60km by 40km wide.

The United Nations has now said the locusts have reached Uganda and Tanzania.

Officials from the UN have warned action must be taken as “we simply cannot afford another major shock” to the already vulnerable region.

“There is the risk of a catastrophe,” UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock told a briefing in New York, warning that a region where 12million people already face severe food insecurity cannot afford another jolt.

The UN has asked for £59million in immediate aid, with the US releasing £620,000 and the EU £845,000.