The International Federation's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) is a source of un-earmarked money created by the Federation in 1985 to ensure that immediate financial support is available for Red Cross Red Crescent response to emergencies.

The DREF is a vital part of the International Federation's disaster response system and increases the ability of national societies to respond to disasters.

Summary: CHF 212,101 (USD 207,941 or EUR 131,739) was allocated from the Federation's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) on 18 July 2008 to support the Red Crescent Society of Djibouti (RCSD) in delivering assistance to 10,000 beneficiaries severely affected by the drought and assess in detail the needs in view to launch an emergency appeal.

There was a delay in the recruitment of relief delegate who reported in Djibouti on 29 August 2008. Therefore, the implementation period of the DREF extended up to the end of November 2008 to fully achieve the expected results. A detailed assessment for real needs, relief, water and sanitation emergency activities were conducted. That helped to minimize the effects of waterborne diseases on beneficiaries and to facilitate distribution of relief goods to most vulnerable localities where more than 10,000 pastoralists lived.

This operation was conducted in collaboration with the Government of Djibouti, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and World Food Programme (WFP).

The situation

In Djibouti, a total of 118,590 people were affected by the consequences of below normal rainfall experienced in the last four poor consecutive rainy seasons. A multiple of other factors added to the drought such as high food prices (100 percent increase) eroded communities' survival coping mechanism in general and pastoralist livelihoods in particular.

The few humanitarian organizations including the Red Crescent Society of Djibouti supported by the Federation through the DREF, gave some basic assistance. The scope of the drought consequences required more effort to prevent the country from rapidly sliding into a chronic and complex humanitarian situation

Coordination and partnerships

Red Crescent Society of Djibouti is the leading national humanitarian organization in the country. Red Crescent Society of Djibouti as an auxiliary to the Government and works closely with regional commissioners to respond to the community needs especially in relief related activities and environmental sanitation promotion related activities.

The National Society coordinated with the Government and attended inter-agency meetings to determine its role as defined by the Government. The Federation Delegate based in Eritrea visited the Red Crescent Society of Djibouti to assist in coordinating the Red Cross/Red Crescent intervention to the drought.

Red Crescent Society of Djibouti, the Federation and ICRC in the country worked in close coordination. A Task Force was established to involve all Movement partners in a joint response. The basic framework and modalities of an Operational Alliance served as guidance to organize the coordination activities of the Red Cross Movement in response to this emergency.

Overall coordination of emergency relief activities with external actors took place through the Minister of Interior (MoI). The RCSD worked in close collaboration with MoI.

The World Food Programme undertook general food distribution for 55,000 people in the entire five regions of Djibouti until the end of May 2008. Limited food available in the pipeline meant that full rations were only provided to those in the North Western regions with others receiving only partial ration, and in the month of June 2008 there was no food distribution. The Red Crescent Society of Djibouti interventions were coordinated closely with WFP and MoI to avoid duplication.

Red Cross and Red Crescent action

The DREF was allocated to the Red Crescent Society of Djibouti to quickly support the most vulnerable people by addressing their water and sanitation emergency needs. While conducting an assessment in details to point out the most vulnerable areas real needs, reinforce the branch volunteers' capacities by conducting training sessions for relief goods distribution and hygiene promotion through Participatory Hygiene and Sanitation Transformation (PHAST) method.