Food availability in Djibouti mainly depends on imports, which account for 90% of food needs. Thus, access to food is highly dependent on the price of domestic and foreign markets and the dynamics of other sources of income. Pastoralism, which is the main source of income in rural areas, has been severely hit by the drought that lasted more than 4 years. Families who have lost their herds were forced to migrate to nearby urban centers limiting the income opportunities and increasing the level of poverty and the risk of food insecurity. The food deficit is reduced by the distribution of food aid and rehabilitation efforts are still low responding to drought effects.

While poverty and drought are spreading all over the country, some areas are more vulnerable. Obock region and areas of livelihood North / West and South / East depending on pastoralism are the most affected, classified as in "Crisis" (IPC Phase 3). In fact, over 50% of these communities have poor food consumption according to the survey WFP EFSA in July 2012, while the rate of acute malnutrition among children under 5 years exceeds 10%. 

Driving factors of food insecurity:

• The prolongation of the drought for more than 4 years in the Republic of Djibouti has rendered rural areas particularly food insecure. Pastoral areas in the North / West South / East were the most affected.
• Pastoral households which have lost most of their livestock have been migrating to peri-urban areas and seeking paid labor, which increases the level of vulnerability of food insecurity.
• In addition, soaring prices in the context of the collapse of the sources of income of the poorest households has reduced access to food.

This second food security analysis, guided by the Integrated Phase Food Security Classification Framework (IPC), made it possible to reinforce the achievements of the implementation of IPC in Djibouti initiated since the previous year. The analysis exercise in urban and has shown signs of food insecurity at the crisis stage in some areas, but has not conclusions. The IPC Technical Working Group recommends that prospective surveys collect data to distinction between the districts of the city of Djibouti in general and the outlying districts in particular. This data is namely derived from the 2012 poverty survey, the upcoming SMART survey and the urban WFP survey. A session of the lessons learned and deepening the technical training of the TWG are also necessary to improve the tool on the one hand and the quality of the end product IPC on the other hand. It is also important that the appropriation of the tool by the Government is a short-term priority of the TWG.