Djibouti: Food Insecurity Looms in Djibouti
12 July 2013
NAIROBI, 12 July 2013 (IRIN) - Poor rains and lack of expertise to boost
local food production are some of the challenges facing Djibouti's
population, says a senior UN official.
"The major gap in Djibouti is the very low capacity of the partners.
Partners are missing the technical expertise to develop relevant activities
to enhance the agricultural production or to sustain their physical assets,"
Imed Khanfir, a programme adviser with the UN World Food Programme (WFP) in
Djibouti, told IRIN.
"Scarcity of water is also a major challenge."
For the next couple of months, Djibouti, which is a net food-importer, could
face deteriorating food security as the lean season sets in, with high food
prices and soaring unemployment levels exacerbating the situation.
According to an
<
http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/dj_profile_2013_06
_en.pdf> update by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET), "Food
insecurity among poor households in Djibouti City's urban centres of
Balbala, Radiska, and Baulaos is anticipated to heighten but remain stressed
following a substantial decline in labour opportunities".
Urban and peri-urban areas of Djibouti as well as pastoral households in the
rural areas are among those most affected by food insecurity. "Acute food
insecurity is anticipated to be accentuated among poor households in the
Southeastern (Borderside) and Obock pastoral areas through September," adds
FEWNET.
According to Khanfir, "Recurrent droughts have reduced the assets of the
vulnerable population, reducing their livestock."
In the past year, for example, Djibouti experienced poor March-to-June
'Diraac/Soughoum' rains, following similarly poor 'Heys/Dadaa'
October-to-March rains.
A
<
http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/djibouti_en.pdf>
factsheet by the European Union's European Community Humanitarian Aid Office
(ECHO) adds: " Since 2005, Djibouti is increasingly suffering from water
scarcity due to poor rains. This has led to a reduction of water sources and
pasture for livestock. As a result, the country has faced serious food
deficits. Particularly affected are the rural communities and people
dependent on pastoral activities".
At present, about 42,600 people are severely food insecure with 24,300
others moderately food insecure in Djibouti, according to WFP's Khanfir. WFP
is providing general food distribution all year long to the severely food
insecure population, he added, while the moderately food insecure are
enrolled in food-for-work programmes.
Received on Sat Jul 13 2013 - 20:45:03 EDT