Developing a Stronger Djibouti

The United States Government provides millions of dollars annually to Djibouti for civil affairs projects (through the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa), anti-terrorism assistance training, one-time projects such as language laboratories, and community assistance grants. The largest part of U.S. Assistance is administered through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). USAID projects in Djibouti focus primarily on health and education.

In 2004 USAID budgeted more than $20 million directly for Djibouti:

$12 million has been dedicated to the health sector to increase access to equitable health care and improve quality of care to support reductions in infant, child and maternal mortality. This takes the form of training programs for medical professionals and education programs through the Ministry of Health.

$8 million has been dedicated to the education sector to assist the Ministry of Education in implementing education reform program, increase access to basic education, improve quality of teaching and learning, increase opportunities for girls’ education and develop a strategy for sustainable employment for school graduates. This academic year USAID donated 40,000 school kits to Djibouti, providing supplies for every child enrolled in Djiboutian schools. USAID also works closely with the U.S. military to identify school renovation projects in Djibouti.

$0.4 million for an IFESH (International Foundation for Education and Self-Help) Teachers for Africa Program. IFESH is a non-profit program based on the premise that in order for emerging democracies to be sustained in Africa and for law and order to be upheld, a country's citizens must be literate and capable of making informed choices. The Teachers for Africa Program places accredited teaching professionals, administrators and college professors in sub-Saharan African countries to help improve the educational systems of selected nations. Currently seven IFESH English teachers are working in Djiboutian schools and the Ministry of Education. Each teacher speaks French and English fluently and holds at least a Masters Degree in Education. The goal of this program is to increase quality of teaching and promote English language learning. For more information on the IFESH program, click here.

In addtion, USAID has obligated $5 million for food security activities through two regional projects:
$1 million opened a FEWSNET (Famine Early Warning System Network) office in Djibouti. FEWSNET is part of an Africa wide food security monitoring system which monitors a basket of indicators throughout E. Africa, reporting on the status of food and nutrition deficits in specific countries. Djibouti is a chronic food deficit country. For more information on FEWSNET and a list of its current warnings, click here

$4 million has been dedicated to develop a livestock holding and export facility in Djibouti. The private-sector livestock program will export livestock from Ethiopia, Somalia and Djibouti to the Gulf and Middle East. The private-sector livestock program will export livestock from Ethiopia, Somalia and Djibouti to the Gulf and Middle East.
For more information on USAID projects worldwide, click here