Attachments
Overview
Key messages
1. In 2024, Djibouti grappled with severe food insecurity driven by drought, global price fluctuations, and geopolitical tensions, which exacerbated the challenges for vulnerable populations.
2. WFP supported over 117,878 individuals with life-saving food and cash-based assistance, while also building national systems to strengthen resilience and improve social protection.
3. WFP focused on nutrition-sensitive programmes, supporting both immediate relief and long-term capacity-building efforts to address food insecurity and malnutrition across Djibouti.
In 2024, Djibouti faced mounting food security challenges driven by multiple shocks, including prolonged drought, global price volatility, and trade disruptions due to geopolitical tensions in the Red Sea. As a strategic trade hub, the country is highly vulnerable to regional instability, with disruptions in neighboring countries severely straining supply chains and deepening food insecurity. With 90 percent of its food imported, Djibouti is particularly exposed to price spikes, trade disruptions, and supply shortages, making access to affordable and diverse food more difficult. Minimal domestic food production due to limited arable land and insufficient rainfall further undermines agricultural self-sufficiency, leaving the country nearly entirely reliant on external food sources. These combined environmental and economic challenges have significantly reduced food availability, heightened vulnerability among households, and placed immense pressure on both rural livelihoods and urban food access.
As a result of these challenges, food insecurity worsened, rising from 19 percent of the population (approximately 221,000 people) in April-June 2024 to 24 percent (about 285,000 people) in the second half of the year, with those affected classified as IPC Phase 3 or higher, indicating a critical need for food assistance. In addition, Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rates reached 14.7 percent, surpassing emergency thresholds in multiple regions. Refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants over 31,500 individuals faced heightened vulnerability due to barriers in accessing social protection and sustainable livelihoods, increasing their reliance on humanitarian support. In response to worsening food insecurity, WFP’s operations in Djibouti were guided by its 2020-2025 Country Strategic Plan (CSP). This plan aligned with the national priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). WFP's approach focused on three Strategic Outcomes designed to address both the immediate needs of affected populations and to build long-term resilience in the country. Overall, WFP assisted 117,878 people with 4,661 metric tons of food and USD 3.9 million in cash-based transfers.
The core of WFP’s operations in Djibouti centered on emergency food assistance, strengthening national capacities, and building resilience to future shocks. WFP worked closely with key government institutions, including the Ministry of Social Affairs and Solidarities (MASS), the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MENFOP), and the Ministry of Interior. These partnerships enabled a holistic approach to addressing food insecurity and malnutrition across the country. Through joint efforts, WFP provided critical support to Djibouti’s most vulnerable populations while also working to enhance the country’s long-term food security infrastructure. WFP focused throughout the year on providing life-saving assistance to populations facing food insecurity and malnutrition.
WFP reached over 50,000 people in emergency contexts with emergency food and cash-based assistance, including food-insecure nationals, refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants. This assistance played a critical role in alleviating immediate hunger while protecting vulnerable households from the worsening food insecurity. In addition to providing assistance, WFP strengthened Djibouti's capacity to manage future food security crises by partnering with the National Meteorological Agency (ANMD) and the Executive Secretariat for Risk and Disaster Management (SEGRC). These partnerships focused on enhancing disaster preparedness through forecasting tools, specialized training, and improved early warning systems. Moreover, through South-South cooperation, Ethiopia’s Meteorological Agency provided ANMD with technical training to enhance weather forecasting and bolster climate risk management