Attachments
FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT
- After several failed rainy seasons, poor “heys/dada” rains (October‑February) affected rangeland conditions and water availability in Obock, Ali Sabieh and Djibouti regions
- Food security remains critical for pastoralists and poor urban households
Poor rangeland conditions in Obock, Ali Sabieh and Djibouti regions
The (October‑February) “heys/dadaa” rains have regenerated pasture and increased water availability in parts of the country, but pasture conditions remain poor in southeastern regions of Ali Sabieh and Djibouti as well as in northwestern Obock Region where the rainy season started late and had below‑average rainfall amounts. These areas have experienced a sequence of several failed rainy seasons since October 2014 which led to significant livestock losses, poor animal body conditions and minimal milk production. The (March‑May) “diraac/sougum” rains are forecast at near‑average levels, with likely improvements in pasture conditions and water availability.
As reported by FEWSNet, prices of most staple foods have been stable during the last six months, with the exception of beans whose price has increased by about 6 percent since early 2016 following the export ban introduced by the Ethiopian Government as a response to the 2015 below average production.
According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis, the total population in need of humanitarian assistance is estimated at about 230 000 people, over 55 percent of the rural population. They are essentially small‑scale farmers and herders living in northwest and southeast areas that have been affected by several consecutive failed rainy seasons. In addition, about 56 000 people, mainly from Yemen and Somalia, are hosted in refugee camps and are highly food insecure.