Persistent Stressed and Crisis levels of food insecurity in spite of seasonal improvements
KEY MESSAGES
Most households in northwestern pastoral areas (livelihood zone 1) and southeastern border areas (livelihood zone 3B) are still in Stressed (IPC Phase 2) or Crisis (IPC Phase 3) levels of acute food insecurity due to the poor performance of the current season (October through February) and low levels of Heys/Dada rains.
With virtually no Heys/Dada rains and the poor outlook for the Diraac/Soughoum rains (March through June), households in southeastern pastoral border areas will continue to face Crisis levels of food insecurity for the entire outlook period.
Households in these areas have exhausted their livelihoods and are barely able to meet their minimum food needs.With the high levels of joblessness and limited employment opportunities in Djibouti City, poor households are still coping with the effects of large seasonal expenses that deplete their resources and put them in debt. Thus, they will continue to face Crisis levels of food insecurity through the end of February, before transitioning back down into Stressed (IPC Phase 2) between March and June, once they have rebuilt their savings.
With virtually no rainfall whatsoever, the Obock region is also facing high levels of food insecurity. Regional officials are reporting high rates of malnutrition and animal mortality rates, both of which make the population especially vulnerable to food insecurity. Rural areas of this region are currently in Crisis (IPC Phase 3) and could remain there throughout the outlook period.