Africa
Djibouti
Flood

Getting ahead of the flood: the Djibouti Red Crescent Society acts to support communities at risk

The Djibouti Red Crescent Society has activated its simplified early action protocol for floods and is now supporting 2,500 people in flood-prone areas of the capital city.

19 October 2026

Activation
Shelter
WASH

Getting ahead of the flood: the Djibouti Red Crescent Society acts to support communities at risk

The Djibouti Red Crescent Society (DRCS) has activated its simplified early action protocol (EAP) for floods after forecasts indicated potential flooding in the country's coastal areas. Over the past few days, it has:

disseminated early warning messages
provided sandbags for shelters
distributed and replace roofing materials
promoted hygiene to reduce the health risks associated with stagnant flood waters.

These actions will help to protect 2,500 people in flood-prone communities in the Bouloas area of the capital city, prioritizing the most vulnerable households.

“When the rain comes, we always wonder where the water will get in. Being able to repair our roof beforehand is already one less worry for my family.

Everything we have is in our home; we have bought [it], little by little, over the years. Strengthening the roof means protecting all those years of hard work. I couldn’t afford to buy roofing sheets myself. Today, I have received sheets of a quality that I would never have been able to afford.”

Activating the simplified EAP for floods

Several countries in eastern Africa are currently experiencing very heavy rainfall. In Djibouti, forecasts indicated that 50-100 mm of rainfall would fall in Djibouti city and its suburbs during the period 13-20 October 2026. This met the agreed trigger of at least 50 mm, as given in the simplified EAP.

The DRCS carried out these actions with support from the IFRC's Disaster Response Emergency Fund, which disbursed 219,994 Swiss francs (approx. 267,000 US dollars/237,000 euros) from its Anticipatory Pillar; this amount covers these anticipatory actions, as well as the readiness and pre-positioning phases.