1. Home
  2. East Africa
  3. Djibouti

Food security improving in Djibouti but prices still high

[Djibouti] Shelters built by drought-affected pastoralist families in Djiboutiville. [Date picture taken: 02/06/2006] Omar Hassan/IRIN
Shelters built by pastoralist families in Djibouti.
Recent rains in Djibouti have replenished pasture and water resources, improving the food security situation in some pastoral areas, the Food Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS Net) says in a September report.

The rains were three weeks late in July and relatively poor, but in general, replenished supplies. El Niño conditions are prevailing in the region and Djibouti can expect above-normal rains in late September, it adds.

Even then, the urban poor still continue to struggle with high prices of essential food and non-food items. The situation is compounded by annual school fees, especially in poor quarters of Djibouti City, such as sections of Balbala and PK 12.

According to the World Bank, Djibouti, a small country, is characterized by pervasive poverty and high inequality. All food is imported and the global rise in food prices had a disastrous effect on the welfare of the population, particularly the poorest.

In May, UNICEF expressed concern about the high levels of acute malnutrition, particularly in peri-urban areas around Djibouti City and in the northwest pastoral zone. Admissions to feeding centres rose from 7,302 to 18,417 children between December 2007 and December 2008.

eo/mw

This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

Share this article

Get the day’s top headlines in your inbox every morning

Starting at just $5 a month, you can become a member of The New Humanitarian and receive our premium newsletter, DAWNS Digest.

DAWNS Digest has been the trusted essential morning read for global aid and foreign policy professionals for more than 10 years.

Government, media, global governance organisations, NGOs, academics, and more subscribe to DAWNS to receive the day’s top global headlines of news and analysis in their inboxes every weekday morning.

It’s the perfect way to start your day.

Become a member of The New Humanitarian today and you’ll automatically be subscribed to DAWNS Digest – free of charge.

Become a member of The New Humanitarian

Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

Join