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USAID Information:
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Djibouti
Please note: All linked documents are in PDF format
Excludes P.L. 480. See Program Annex.
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The Development Challenge: Djibouti is ranked 154 among 177 countries on the 2004 United Nations Development Program's Human Development Index. Low human capacity levels and poor health are central to Djibouti's development challenges. The population growth rate is high at 2.8%. Life expectancy remains at just 46 years. Infant and under-five child mortality is high, with an estimated 114 and 165 per 1,000 live births, respectively. The rate of maternal mortality is one of the highest rates in the world. The under-five population suffers from malnutrition (31%) and low immunization rates (45% in Djibouti city and 11% for rural areas). Djibouti is 80% urban and suffers from a 60% unemployment rate. Over 45% of the primary school age population does not attend school, and more than 60% of all adults (especially women) are unable to read or write, even though primary school was made mandatory and free in 1999. Enrollment for girls' primary school remains low at 40%. HIV/AIDS is a growing problem; the prevalence rate is 3%. Knowledge of HIV/AIDS transmission is low, with less than 1% of the population surveyed aware that an asymptomatic person can transmit AIDS. Djibouti has a very high tuberculosis rate, with a sputum sinear positive case rate of 181/100,000 population. The United States has a significant national interest in Djibouti being an important partner in the war on global terrorism and advancing sustainable development in the country. Djibouti hosts the only American military base on the African continent.
The USAID Program: The Djibouti program focuses on improving basic education and expanding essential basic health services. In the area of basic education, the USAID program seeks to expand access and improve the quality of schooling, with the focus on improving teacher effectiveness and providing classroom material. In the health sector, USAID is focusing on an increased supply of essential health services, improved quality of services and enhanced local capacity to sustain health services. Both of these objectives concentrate on community involvement and rely on a cross-sectoral approach to implementation.
Other Program Elements: Djibouti is a chronic food deficit country currently requiring an estimated 13,000 metric tons (MT) of food annually from the international donor community. USAID has worked closely with the World Food Program (WFP) to develop an operation encompassing a variety of activities that target different groups, including support to vulnerable Djiboutians through rural food for work and food for agriculture activities to drought-affected populations, urban institutional and nutritional feeding of vulnerable groups including HIV/AIDS orphans, tuberculosis patients and refugees, and food to support girls' attendance at schools. In FY 2004, USAID provided 1,710 MT of commodities valued at $994,000, with two-thirds for Djiboutians, and one third for refugees. It is anticipated that a similar commitment will be made in FY 2005 based on request and need. The target group is estimated to be 43,400 Djiboutians and refugees.
Other activities carried out through the Regional Food Security Program are benefiting Djibouti. They include a livestock export promotion facility, a Famine Early Warning System (FEWSNET), and the provision of teachers. Economic Support Funds (ESF) are being used to develop a livestock export promotion facility in Djibouti. When completed, this facility will support the export of livestock from Somalia, Ethiopia and Djibouti to the Middle East and to the Arabian Peninsula. It will lead to the generation of substantial new incomes for thousands of families in the three countries. In addition, ESF is used to support a Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWSNET) in Djibouti. FEWSNET provides the capacity to monitor and assess up-to-date food security data in Djibouti and disseminate information to policy makers and partners alike.
Other Donors: The establishment of the USAID office in Djibouti gave a strong push to donor coordination in education, health and food security. Under USAID leadership, the Ministry of Education established donor coordination meetings. A similar system has begun under the health program. Key donors in education are USAID, France, the World Bank, Saudi Arabia and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Key donors in health are USAID, the World Health Organization, UNICEF and France. In order to maximize the U.S. Government's assistance to Djibouti, USAID collaborates with the U.S. Military Civil Affairs Unit at Camp Lemonier to rehabilitate and equip the education infrastructure, health facilities and community infrastructure. USAID is in the process of developing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Civil Affairs Unit that will formalize these collaborative arrangements.
Djibouti receives approximately $100 million in donor assistance yearly. Currently, the largest donors are the United States, France, the World Bank and Saudi Arabia. The Islamic Fund and the African Development Bank have provided some support for secondary school and hospital construction.
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