Bartamaha (Djabuti):- The United Nations today launched an appeal to assist Djibouti valued at US$ 38,999,338. The appeal will help provide vital humanitarian assistance to 120,000 people affected by the protracted drought that has plagued the east African country since 2005.

Four consecutive years of insufficient rainfall has led to large-scale hunger and increased malnutrition, especially among children under five years of age in rural areas of the country. Approximately 25,000 children under five suffer from acute malnutrition – this represents 20 per cent of all under five-year-olds in Djibouti.

Drought has also destroyed the crops of small-scale farmers for two years running, while over 70 per cent of cattle has been lost due to lack of pasture and fodder. In addition, prices of staple foods have remained significantly higher than pre-2008 levels, when international food prices soared.

With funding from the Djibouti Drought Appeal, UN agencies will work with the government, partner organisations and local communities to meet emergency humanitarian needs and mitigate the effects of the drought.

“Successive years of drought have devastated the livelihoods of people in rural Djibouti,” said Valerie Amos, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. “Due to high food prices and reduced purchasing power, too many people are unable to feed their families. While this appeal will help meet immediate humanitarian needs, like food and nutrition, it is important that we also address the root causes of recurrent food crises and improve the country’s capacity to respond to these emergencies.”

The appeal aims to meet a number of critical humanitarian needs, including food, nutrition, water and sanitation, and basic health care. In addition, funds will go towards strengthening and improving national capacity to provide humanitarian relief and strengthen agricultural recovery. Djibouti has previously received limited funding from a joint appeal in 2008, which increased the number of people receiving food aid from the World Food Programme and strengthened health and nutrition assistance in the country. Many of these humanitarian needs still remain and are included in this new call for assistance.

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Source:- UN.

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