Although the Republic of Djibouti didn’t benefit from the HIPC and MDR initiatives, it was able to achieve an impressive economic and social performance by improving the macro-economic ecosystem, and implementing a wide scope of strategic decisions. The last two decades have seen continuous economic growth, allowing a significant reduction of the poverty rate, helping the country achieve some of the SDG targets.

However, the current health crisis commutes into a social and economic one that endangers 20 years of efforts and progress. The health crisis caused by COVID-19, and the confinement that followed, have affected Djibouti’s economic actors (for businesses, households and for the state), the poorest and most vulnerable populations in particular, with a drop in economic activities and an inflation caused by panic and food hoarding.