The 2007/2008 UNDP Human Development Index ranks Djibouti 149 out of 177 countries. The majority of the population lives in urban areas (82 percent) and particularly in the city of Djibouti (65 percent).
Djibouti has an unfavourable climate unsuited to crop production. Its population of about 632,000 depends entirely on imported food. WFP food assistance is designed to feed about 150,000 of the most vulnerable people, who include those affected by drought, the urban poor struggling with high food prices, refugees from Somalia, migrants from Ethiopia, and rural school pupils.
Since 2003, successive droughts have reduced pasture and provoked increased migration in search of water and pasture. Pastoralists have been forced to cut the amount of food they eat, as well as the quality of the food they consume.
According to a nutrition survey at the end of 2007, global acute malnutrition is 17 percent across the country and 25 percent in the northwest. As a result of the current drought, most pastoralists have lost 40 to 70 percent of their livestock.
High food prices have had a particularly dramatic effect in urban areas. Research by FEWSNet indicates that in August the cost of the staple food basket was 63 percent above the minimum salary in Djibouti city.
Two ongoing projects are currently under implementation, providing a total of 27,650 metric tons of mixed food commodities at a cost of US$24.5 million.
At present, WFP delivers approximately 1,200 tons of mixed food commodities per month, and all distributions are implemented in partnership with the government of Djibouti. Monitoring mechanisms are in place to ensure compliance with WFP best practices.
Djibouti is also a WFP logistics hub for the handling of food aid destined for Ethiopia and Somalia. The WFP Country Office in Djibouti plays an important support role to humanitarian operations in the two neighbouring countries.
In 2007, over 300,000 tons of food was delivered into Ethiopia by land and to Somalia by sea from Djibouti. Given the current drought and high food price crisis in the Horn of Africa, WFP Djibouti expects to handle further large food shipments.
In response to high food prices, WFP has almost doubled to 80,000 the number of people receiving food assistance in badly affected rural areas, while urban distributions, including food vouchers for those affected by high food prices in Djibouti town, will now target 55,000. Special attention is also being given to children at risk of malnutrition.
A further 12,000 children in rural parts of Djibouti receive daily meals at school as well as take-home rations for girls to encourage them to attend regularly.
