Djibouti Faces Food Shortfall Despite Rains

NAIROBI - May 31/06 - IRIN -- Most areas of Djibouti have received heavy rains, but there is a high risk that the upcoming dry season will destroy the green pasture and create possible food shortages.

The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (Fews Net) said in an alert released on Tuesday that in Djibouti's northwest pastoral zone, where little to no rain has fallen, water catchments are nearly dry, and pastoralists are still travelling more than 5km in search of water.

Although rains have partially improved both vegetation and water resources in most areas across Djibouti, full recovery of pastoral communities will take some time. Overall, around 88,000 people have been seriously affected by successive droughts, and 70,000 of them will need food aid until November. "High levels of food insecurity remain, and increasing prices are putting additional pressure on food security in both pastoral and urban areas," the agency said.

The progressive loss of livestock due to successive poor seasons was causing widespread concern for the feasibility of pastoral livelihoods in Djibouti. "Between 25 and 80 percent of livestock herds have been lost in the last five years," Fews Net said.

"Several good seasons, accompanied by long-term measures to rebuild livestock assets and develop infrastructure to support pastoral livelihoods, are needed to protect the viability of pastoral livelihoods."

Several seasons of failed rains had degraded pastures and dried up watering points across Djibouti until the rains fell in April. According to Fews Net, the situation was particularly dire in the northwest pastoral zone, the central pastoral lowland and highland sub-zones, the border and roadside sub-zones, and the market-gardening zone.

Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2006

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Copyright (c) 2006 UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs