DJIBOUTI: Interview with President Guelleh

Photo: irin

President Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti

ARTA, 2 February 2011 (IRIN) - IRIN interviewed Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh on 27 January in Arta about the drought, humanitarian challenges and regional issues.

Q: Is the current drought in Djibouti more serious than previous ones?

A: We are going through what meteorologists call the La Niña phenomenon. The problem in our region is that we don’t plan properly for what we know is coming. Four months ago, we had a lot of rain. Four months later, we are dying of starvation and lack of water.

In Djibouti, we are continuously monitoring the drought situation. There are some parts, particularly the eastern part of the country, that are more seriously affected than other parts. We have sent teams there to make sure that people [in need] are reached before it is too late. Government ministries are working with [the UN] WFP [World Food Programme] to mitigate the situation. There is no catastrophe; we are managing the situation.

Q: These droughts recur yet the Horn of Africa does not seem to learn from the past. In your opinion, can droughts be tackled in a sustainable long-term manner?

A: A lot of things can be done. First, it is a matter of planning and harvesting rain water. We also need to control livestock grazing so it does not deplete the grazing areas. Some areas should be off-limits during good rains, so they become available during dry times. Read More