(Copyright: WFP/Djibouti)

Drought and high food prices hit Djibouti

Djibouti is experiencing its fourth consecutive year of drought. The 2011 lean season started in April, about two months earlier than normal in most of the pastoral areas of Djibouti. The overall food security situation has gradually worsened in recent months and it is not expected to improve for at least 6 months. The failure of the recent rains has resulted in the increasing loss of livestock and in the livelihoods of pastoralists being severely eroded. High food prices have also taken their toll. Prices of staple foods continue to exceed the purchasing power of poor urban and rural households who remain largely dependent on imported food for their needs. The combination of drought conditions and increased insecurity in Somalia have led to some 800 Somali refugees arriving in Djibouti every month. Many of them, particularly the children, women and the elderlyelderly, are often in poor health and suffering from malnutrition. To support the country through the current crisis, WFP has increased its assistance during recent and is currently assisting some 109,000 people in Djibouti. 

Overview

The 2010 UNDP Human Development Index ranked Djibouti 147th out of 169 countries in terms of per capita income. Agricultural production covers only 10 percent of the national needs. Djibouti remains highly dependent on imports (90 percent) for food and vulnerable to global price fluctuations. About 41 percent of the population live in extreme poverty surviving on less than US$ 2 a day. The majority of the population lives in urban areas (70 percent),  and particularly in the city of Djibouti (58 percent). The unemployment rate remains high at over 60 percent. Due to the current drought and insecurity in Somalia, the country hosts some 19,000 refugees. 

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Country at a glance 2012
Planned Beneficiaries154,894
Beneficiary needs (mt)13,616
Beneficiary needs ($US)12,694,559