Djibouti

Djibouti is the hungriest country in the Horn of Africa – nearly half of the population lives in extreme poverty. But WFP is there, working to eradicate hunger for all.
Unsplash/Abdelrahman Ismail

Dry and Dependent

Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa, has recently graduated to low-middle-income country status. Despite recent economic growth, poverty rates stand at 79 percent, with 42 percent of the population living in extreme poverty. The climate is hot and dry, and desert-like, arid conditions are exacerbated by natural events such as El Niño phenomenon. Livestock represents the main livelihood for one third of the total population, but it accounts for only 3 percent of the country’s GDP.

Djibouti imports 90 percent of the food it needs, which makes it highly dependent on international market prices. While malnutrition rates are showing a positive trend – down to 7.5 percent in 2016 from 18 percent in 2015 – food insecurity persists, with 62 percent of the rural population having limited access to nutritious food.

This situation has its roots in structural poverty, insufficient access to water for agropastoral activities, lack of basic services such as health, education, and water and sanitation, inadequate social safety nets, limited employment opportunities, and the effects of the influx of refugees.

Djibouti port is the principal transit point for cargo in and out of Ethiopia and a key link in commercial transport routes to and from the greater Horn of Africa. To enhance efficiencies in both humanitarian and commercial logistics, the Government of Djibouti and the World Food Programme (WFP) have established the Humanitarian Logistics Hub which can store up to 65,000 metric tons of food and goods for operations in the region.

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Hunger Stats

WFP’s Work in Djibouti

WFP has been in Djibouti since 1978, providing humanitarian assistance to vulnerable populations. We focus our actions on social protection, human capital and improving resilience with a view to eradicating hunger.
WFP staff distributing SCOPE cards to refugees in the Holl Holl settlement

As part of WFP Djibouti SCOPE card programme, SCOPE cards were distributed in the refugee settlement of Holl Holl between the 24th and the 28th of January. Refugees can now use their SCOPE cards to retrieve cash and food from WFP’s distribution center.
Nutrition
WFP works to prevent acute and chronic malnutrition and treat moderate acute malnutrition. WFP also provides food to people living with HIV (PLHIV) and those undergoing treatment for tuberculosis (TB) to promote good nutrition and health, and ease the side effects of medication.
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Djibouti, Dickhil, 25 September 2017

Salsabila Ibrahim Mohamoud, 11 years old, from Dickhil in Djibouti, was a winner of the 2017 global WFP Children’s Design Competition and is one of the students benefiting from these programmes. Salsabila and 17,000 children receive a morning snack and a hot lunch. WFP also provides take-home rations of vegetable oil to girls like Salsabila in grades three to five to, encourage parents to send their daughters to school

Like many girls her age, Salsabila loves to dress up as a princess while playing in the courtyard of her house with sisters and brothers. When asked where she sees herself in the future, her answer is immediate: “I would like to become the Minister of Education so I can give to all children the school of my dreams and continue the school meals to give them energy to study in Djibouti.”

In the Photo: Salsabila, from Dickhil in Djibouti, displays her certificate after winning in the WFP Children’s Design Competition. 

Photo: WFP/Miguel Tomas
School Meals
In addition, WFP supports asset creation activities as part of building the resilience of affected communities. To meet the challenges of the scarcity of rural water and water and soil conservation, working with the Ministry of Agriculture WFP focuses on the mobilization of surface water, land management and capacity building, including strengthening community development.
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RBD Finalist of End of Year Photo contest
Resilience Building
School meals in targeted rural pre, primary and middle schools combine WFP internationally purchased commodities and fresh food purchased locally with complementary funds allocated by the Government. A take-home ration of oil is provided to families of school girls as an incentive to keep them in school through the 9th grade. WFP is supporting the capacity of the Government towards the establishment of a sustainable national school feeding program.
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Refugees waiting in line to retrieve their cash and their receipt with their SCOPE cards

Launch of SCOPE card in Ali Addeh settlement.
Refugees
WFP provides monthly in-kind or mixed cash-food assistance to registered refugees and asylum seekers in camps, most refugees have limited or no income, and therefore rely almost exclusively on food assistance. The most vulnerable are also helped via nutrition programs such as the treatment of acute malnutrition and the prevention of chronic malnutrition. Refugee girls receive a take-home ration to encourage school enrollment and attendance.
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Rahano Ido, a beneficiary of WFP, just picked up her food rations for the month of December.

Food and cash distribution by WFP and partners at Ali Addeh refugee settlement
Food Security
WFP provides food assistance to rural and urban food-insecure families affected by drought through in-kind and cash-based transfers.
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Philippines, Butuan 19 December 2021

WFP is providing critical logistics support to the Philippine Government to transport 70,400 family food packs to various areas affected by Typhoon Rai. WFP has provided 2 Mobile Storage Units and a generator to the Government for the establishment of a Logistics Hub in Surigao City.”

Photo: WFP/Maitta Rizza Pugay
Humanitarian Logistics Hub
The Hub serves as a base for WFP to provide, on request, expertise, service and infrastructure to the humanitarian community, and to strengthen the logistics capacity in Djibouti. Leveraging its expertise, WFP established a logistics training program focusing on transport and commodity handling. This initiative will help develop skilled labor in the logistics sector and support the Government’s efforts in job creation.
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