Humanitarian overview
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Conflict and violence in the Horn of Africa have forced many to seek protection in Djibouti over the last three decades. Its geographical position has also made it a major transit stop and route for migration towards Yemen and beyond from Africa. Recurring droughts and occasional flash floods have further worsened the already extreme climatic conditions, causing severe water shortages and increasing the levels of food insecurity and malnutrition. The drought and floods continue to displace people in the region and push them to cross the border to Djibouti. The country has been dealing with multiple crises, including recurrent droughts, locust swarms, flooding, and epidemics of malaria and chikungunya. The recent Covid-19 pandemic has seriously strained the country’s health system and put already very poor households under additional economic stress. Djibouti hosts about 31,096 refugees and asylum seekers, mainly Somalis, Ethiopians, Eritreans and, and more recently, Yemenis fleeing war. |
The huge gap of unmet needs and expectations of services in camps, rural and urban areas have left an increasing number of people with little access to basic services and water.
NRC's operation
In Djibouti, we work on crisis support as well as disaster and climate-related displacement, all of which affect both refugees and Djibouti nationals.
The Djibouti office recently secured funding from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) focusing on the socio-economic inclusion of refugees and host communities in protracted displacement situations in the region of Ali Sabieh-Ali Addeh.
Information, counselling and legal assistance (ICLA)
The IGAD project, funded by KfW (German Development Bank) and implemented in partnership with a local partner, AJCD (Association de Jeunes de Chateu D’eau), will:
- seek to provide structured group formation sessions regarding the employment law and procedures (ELP) of the target group
- provide information on the national legal framework procedures of ELP programming according to the NRC guidelines
Livelihoods and food security
Refugees often have little to no work, limited livelihoods opportunities or income earning alternatives. The lack of income-generating opportunities negatively affects household and community dynamics, constituting a protection risk. Food insecurity is driven by droughts and other natural hazards like flooding. The Covid-19 outbreak, and global food pricing changes have also negatively affected food access and affordability.
NRC’s livelihoods activities target both refugees and host communities. The IGAD project will focus on training both youth and local communities on microenterprise and business management.
Shelter and settlements
As crises continue in neighbouring countries including Eritrea, Somalia and Yemen, refugees in Djibouti there are ever increasing demands for more shelter, to improve the existing poor accommodation and to take in those who continue to arrive in the country. Through the current partnership, the team is:
- providing support towards the construction of a community development centre (CDC) that will be accessible to both host and refugee communities, with the aim of making Ali Addeh a well-planned and serviced urban settlement
- renovation and extension of a technical high school (Lycée Technique) that offers vocational skills training for youth in Ali Sabieh and Ali Addeh
