Market monitoring for the Kenya Cash Consortium response to the desert locust invasion and food insecurity, January-March 2021, ASAL Counties of Kenya Format BACKGROUND The arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL) counties are currently experiencing multiple shocks to their livelihoods and food security. While people’s health is threatened by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the approaching agricultural season is endangered by a combination of the desert locust infestation, dry spells and floods that are impacting already vulnerable communities and further increasing food insecurity in the area. The desert locust infestation has contributed to the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) projection of over 985,000 people in Phase 3 (crisis) and Phase 4 (emergency) in 23 ASAL counties of Kenya between April and July 2021 and the effect of the infestation is expected to continue being felt at community level by farmers, pastoralists and agropastoralists.