VZCZCXRO8776
RR RUEHDE RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHDJ #0854/01 3040650
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 300650Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9645
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUCNSOM/SOMALIA COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHMFIUU/CJTF HOA
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DJIBOUTI 000854 
 
AIDAC 
SIPDIS 
 
USAID/DCHA FOR MHESS 
DCHA/OFDA FOR KLUU, ACONVERY, KCHANNELL 
DCHA/FFP FOR JBORNS, JDWORKEN 
AFR/EA FOR 
STATE FOR AF/E AND PRM 
USUN FOR DMERCADO, HSPANOS 
BRUSSELS FOR PBROWN 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAID PHUM PREL PREF DJ
SUBJECT: DISASTER DECLARATION DJIBOUTI 2009 
 
REF:   DJIBOUTI 473 
 
¶1. SUMMARY.  Several years of continuous drought, lack of social 
protection, and high food prices have eroded the livelihood and food 
security situation of pastoralist and urban poor households in 
Djibouti, as evidenced by high malnutrition rates country-wide 
(reaching 25-34 percent in some areas).  The humanitarian situation 
is beyond the capacity of the Government of Djibouti to manage, the 
Government will accept humanitarian assistance, and it is in the 
interest of the USG to provide it.  Ambassador Swan therefore 
re-declares that a humanitarian emergency exists in Djibouti for FY 
2009 and requests continued humanitarian resources from USAID.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
---------- 
BACKGROUND 
---------- 
 
¶2. Djibouti, with a population of at least 600,000, struggles with 
acute food insecurity, exacerbated by the global food price crisis, 
drought, and lack of social safety-nets for more than half its 
population, according to the Famine Early Warning System Network 
(FEWSNET).  A low-income, food-deficit country, Djibouti ranks 154 
of 177 on the UN Human Development Index, with approximately 75 
percent of the population living in relative poverty. 
 
¶3. Drought has continued in Djibouti for more than four successive 
rainy seasons, which has stifled pasture regeneration critical to 
support livestock, the main source of livelihood for pastoralists. 
According to FEWSNET, between 50 and 70 percent of Djibouti's 
domestic livestock has perished, due to lack of water and pasture, 
and those that remain are too weak to travel the long distances to 
markets.  Water supply is limited, and what is available is not fit 
for human or animal consumption. 
 
¶4. Food access for poor households in most pastoral areas is 
limited, especially in the northwest and southeast pastoral 
livelihood zones.  In response to rising food insecurity, a rural 
exodus to urban areas is increasing, as pastoral families facing 
asset depletion and destitution migrate in search of casual labor 
employment. 
 
¶5. In urban areas, poor households also face critical food 
insecurity.  Food price increases have raised the cost of the 
minimum food basket by 65 percent.  Poor urban households receive 
about a quarter of their daily food needs from neighbors and 
relatives.  However, the purchasing power of the middle class has 
eroded significantly in recent months, and donations to poor 
households have declined. 
 
¶6.  In late 2007, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the UN Children's 
Fund (UNICEF) conducted a national nutrition survey which identified 
an overall global acute malnutrition (GAM) rate of 16.5 percent and 
severe acute malnutrition (SAM) rate of 2.4 percent--both above the 
World Health Organization (WHO) emergency threshold.  The northwest 
pastoral livelihood zone is the most seriously affected, with a GAM 
of 24.8 percent and a SAM of 3.5 percent.  In mid-October, the 
District Hospital in Obock reported a GAM rate for the region of 34 
percent.  UNICEF estimates that 25,000 children below five require 
nutritional assistance throughout the country.  A disaster 
declaration in May 2008 (reftel) responded to an appeal by the 
Government of Djibouti for humanitarian and food aid assistance. 
 
¶7. Although international oil prices have declined in recent weeks, 
staple food prices remain high, and casual labor opportunities have 
not improved.  Poor pastoralist and urban households will continue 
to need food aid and livelihood assistance.  MOH- and 
UNICEF-supported supplemental and therapeutic feeding programs 
continue to expand to meet the high demand.  The October to February 
rains are projected to be normal to below-normal, and while they may 
lead to a slight improvement in water and pasture conditions, they 
will be insufficient for the regeneration of pastoral grazing areas 
which will remain highly to extremely food insecure.  This situation 
will not have a positive, immediate impact on the food security of 
livestock-dependent households.  Both urban and pastoral household 
food security and nutritional status will continue to deteriorate. 
 
 
DJIBOUTI 00000854  002 OF 002 
 
 
-------------------- 
DISASTER DECLARATION 
-------------------- 
 
¶8. In light of the current and projected humanitarian needs in 
Djibouti for FY 2009, Ambassador Swan hereby declares that a 
humanitarian emergency related to drought and food insecurity 
exists, and that it is in the interest of the U.S. Government to 
respond.  The emergency is beyond the capacity of the Government of 
Djibouti to manage, and it will accept donor assistance.  USG 
humanitarian resources are therefore requested to aid needy 
Djiboutians in FY 2009. 
 
SWAN