In Pakistan, farmers are struggling to combat the worst locust plague in nearly three decades as insect swarms decimate entire harvests in the country's agricultural heartlands and send food prices soaring. The crisis is so severe that the government has declared a nationwide emergency and urgently appealed for help from the international community. <br />''<br />''Local surveys of the damage are continuing, but the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture says nearly half of all crops have been destroyed near the port city of Karachi. Food Security Ministry chief Muhammad Hashim Popalzai said, a team of Chinese experts has arrived in Pakistan to survey the crisis. He said the UN Food and Agriculture Organization has also set up meetings between India and Pakistan to prevent the swarms from spreading. According to the United Nations, heavy rains and cyclones sparked unprecedented breeding and the explosive growth of locust populations on the Arabian peninsula early last year.<br />