The 1915 locust plague, which lasted from March to October 1915, was a plague

Pandemic

A pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that is spreading through human populations across a large region; for instance multiple continents, or even worldwide. A widespread endemic disease that is stable in terms of how many people are getting sick from it is not a pandemic...

 of locust

Locust

Locusts are the swarming phase of short-horned grasshoppers of the family Acrididae. These are species that can breed rapidly under suitable conditions and subsequently become gregarious and migratory...

s that stripped areas in and around Palestine

Palestine

Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....

 of almost all vegetation

Vegetation

Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characteristics. It is broader...

. This invasion of awesome proportions seriously compromised the already-depleted food supply of the region and sharpened the misery of all Jerusalemites.

The plague resulted in several increases to the price of food. On April 25, 1915, the New York Times described the price increases. "Flour costs $15 a sack. Potatoes are six times the ordinary price. Sugar and petroleum are unprocurable and money has ceased to circulate."

Reaction

Djemal Pasha, who was the Supreme Commander of Syria and Arabia at the time of the locust plague, launched a campaign to limit the devastation of the incident.. He appointed an official to fight the plague of locusts.

Some people believed that prayer and petition were required to end the plague, as they viewed the swarm of locusts as a punishment from God for their sins. Rav A.M. Luntz, who observed the development of the plague said that "...Badatz

Badatz

Badatz , a Hebrew acronym for "Beit Din Tzedek," or "Court of Justice," is a modern term used for a major Jewish rabbinical court.In Israel, the term 'Badatz' is often used to refer to the Badatz of the Edah HaChareidis; however, it is not the title of this group, and other batei din use the title...

 decreed that on the following day there should be a Taanit Tzibbur and the whole day should be one of selichot

Selichot

Selichot or slichot are Jewish penitential poems and prayers, especially those said in the period leading up to the High Holidays, and on Fast Days...

, prayer

Prayer

Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...

 and petition

Petition

A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer....

. After a few days the locusts left the Land... " as locusts do after they have finished feeding. However, in the amount of time they nested there, the locusts replenished themselves with new larvae.

Regulations

Midhat Bay, who was the official appointed to fight the plague, helped enact a law which required every male between aged 15 and 60 in cities to collect 20 kilograms of locust eggs or pay a fine of £4.40. The New York Times reported that this law was strictly enforced. They said that people who failed to follow the law risked having their businesses closed. Eight hundred people had paid the fine by November 21, 1915.

The locust plague was also responsible for death and disbursement, due to diseases that were brought by the locusts.