Djibouti’s Foreign Minister meets Foreign Minister Westerwelle
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
The Foreign Ministers agreed on closer cooperation between the two countries. Germany will shortly be opening an embassy in Djibouti.
* Germany to open an embassy in Djibouti
Germany is part of the EU anti-piracy mission in the Horn of Africa and is also participating in projects to provide training for Somali police officers.
The Federal Foreign Office is making available approx. EUR 120,000 for emergency relief for particularly hard-hit sections of the population in Djibouti. These funds will be used to finance foodstuffs and emergency medical supplies for young children from Somali refugee families and other particularly hard-hit families in the area.
Djibouti is one of the most popular destinations for refugees from Somalia. The continuing conflict in Somalia is having a considerable impact on the stability of the entire region. To make matters worse, Djibouti suffers chronic drought and food shortages, making the country dependent on food imports. Over the last three years, the Federal Government has made available EUR 270,000 in humanitarian aid for Djibouti.
Further information about Federal Foreign Office humanitarian assistance can be found here: