Assistance to refugees in Djibouti: resolution / adopted by the Economic and Social Council

E/RES/1980/11

1980/11. Assistance to refugees in Djibouti
28 April 1980

The Economic and Social Council,

Taking note of the appeal of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees with respect to humanitarian assistance to Djibouti and other countries in the Horn of Africa¹

Taking note also of the request made by the Executive Committee of the Programme of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to the High Commissioner, in the report on its thirtieth session,² to continue to intensify assistance to the refugees in Djibouti and other countries in the region,

Noting with appreciation the assistance thus far provided to the refugees and the proposed programme for Djibouti³

Noting also that the substantially increased number of refugees in Djibouti has over-taxed the Government's effort to improve social and public services in the country and placed a heavy burden on the meagre resources available there,

Deeply concerned at the gravity of the food shortage in the region, which has been aggravated by the recent severe drought that has affected most of the region, devastating the life-supporting elements, killing great numbers of livestock and causing considerable loss of human life through starvation, thirst and disease,

Aware of the determined efforts made by the Government of Djibouti, since it attained independence, to cope with the refugee situation, as well as the recent severe drought, through a national self-reliance campaign designed to provide the refugees with protection, shelter and assistance,

Noting with appreciation the concern and continued efforts of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Children's Fund, the World Health Organization, the Economic Commission for Africa and such non-governmental organizations as Médecins sans Frontières and Volontaires du progrès, which have worked closely with the Government of Djibouti in the relief and rehabilitation programme for the refugees and the drought-stricken population of the country,

Realizing that the assistance thus far received falls far short of the existing needs and requirements of coping with the refugee situation and that an urgent programme to include the drought-stricken population of the country is required,

Recognizing the plight of the refugees and the formidable burden imposed on the limited resources of the Government of Djibouti,

1. Requests all States to respond generously and expeditiously to the appeal of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to enable him to mobilize the maximum international support in order to alleviate the sufferings of the refugees in Djibouti and other countries in the Horn of Africa;

2. Further requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to co-operate with the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, the World Food Programme, the United Nations Children's Fund, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Health Organization and other specialized agencies, as well as non-governmental organizations, to render the maximum possible assistance to the Government of Djibouti;

3. Invites the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to continue to intensity his humanitarian assistance to the refugees in Djibouti;

4. Requests the Secretary-General to send a United Nations interagency mission to Djibouti to assess the needs of the refugees;

5. Requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to report to the Economic and Social Council at its second regular session of 1980 on the steps taken to alleviate the present refugee situation in Djibouti.

14th plenary meeting
28 April 1980

1 Ibid., Supplement No. 12 (A/34/12), para. 83.

2 Ibid., Supplement No. 12A (A/34/12/Add.1), para. 43, sect. B, subsect. (c) (iii).

3 Ibid., Supplement No. 12 (A/34/12), paras. 83-87.