AGP Executive Report

Yemen Displacement: More than 3,800 Yemenis, half of them children, had reached Djibouti by Oct. 17 as conflict worsened. The IOM says more than 268,000 people have been displaced inside Yemen since July. Skills and Education: Education Minister Moustapha Mohamed Mahamoud called for closer cooperation with Tianjin’s Luban Workshop, Djibouti’s vocational training partnership, which has trained 335 students and more than 270 instructors in fields including rail, logistics and trade. Jobs: Djibouti’s broad unemployment rate was estimated at 52.5%, among the highest for small states, highlighting the challenge of creating jobs beyond port-related activity. Food Security: IGAD, headquartered in Djibouti, is helping coordinate a regional program to restore farmland and strengthen livelihoods.

Humanitarian Support: Kuwait’s “Kuwait Is by Your Side” campaign lists Djibouti among countries receiving aid, alongside broader education, healthcare, food-security and clean-water initiatives. Vocational Education: Djibouti’s education minister is seeking deeper cooperation with China’s Luban Workshop, which has trained 335 students and more than 270 instructors in fields including rail, logistics and trade. Youth Sports: Djibouti’s U-15 team is set to face Sierra Leone and other sides at a football festival in Azerbaijan, offering young players international experience and cultural exchange. Families on the Move: Yemeni families fleeing fighting crossed the Red Sea to Djibouti; one family made the journey by boat after overland routes were cut off.

Jobs and Livelihoods: Djibouti’s broad unemployment rate is estimated at 52.5%, nearly matching Namibia’s 52.7%—the highest among small states with available data. Vocational Education: Djibouti’s education minister has called for deeper cooperation with Tianjin’s Luban Workshop, which trains students in railway technology, logistics and trade; the Djibouti program has trained 335 students and more than 270 instructors. East African Film: A new selection of 10 films highlights the region’s diverse storytelling and its critique of class and colonial influence. Displacement: Yemeni families fleeing renewed fighting are making dangerous boat journeys across the Red Sea toward Djibouti, with one family escaping after overland routes were cut off.

Jobs and livelihoods: Djibouti’s broad unemployment rate is estimated at 52.5%, nearly matching Namibia’s 52.7% and highlighting the challenge of turning port and resource wealth into jobs. Skills and education: Education Minister Moustapha Mohamed Mahamoud has called for closer cooperation with China’s Luban Workshop, which has trained 335 students and more than 270 instructors in fields including rail transport, logistics and trade. Cross-border refuge: Yemeni families fleeing renewed fighting have crossed the Red Sea to Djibouti, including one family who made the journey by boat after land routes were cut off. Food resilience: The Djibouti-based IGAD is helping steer a regional program that promotes soil restoration and farming skills to strengthen livelihoods and food supplies.

Food and Livelihoods: IGAD’s food resilience programme is helping farmers restore depleted soil; one Ethiopian farmer’s maize harvest rose 67% after training in composting. The Djibouti-based bloc is coordinating work across food-insecure communities. East African Cinema: A new guide to the region’s films highlights a rich mix of stories and styles, pushing beyond familiar portrayals of poverty and conflict. Skills and Education: Djibouti’s education minister is seeking deeper cooperation with Tianjin’s Luban Workshop, which has trained 335 students and more than 270 instructors in fields including rail engineering and logistics. Displacement: Yemeni families fleeing fighting have crossed the Red Sea to Djibouti, seeking safety after land routes were cut off. Youth Football: Djibouti’s U-15 side is set to face Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, Russia, Sudan and Turkey at a FIFA festival in Baku, offering young players a chance to compete and connect across cultures.

Vocational Education: Djibouti’s education minister is seeking deeper cooperation with Tianjin Railway Technical and Vocational College as the Luban Workshop approaches its 10th anniversary. The Djibouti programme has trained 335 students and more than 270 instructors in fields including rail transport and logistics. Travel: Djibouti is among 17 destinations where Nigerian passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival; travellers should check current entry rules before setting out. Displacement: Yemeni families fleeing renewed fighting crossed the Red Sea to Djibouti, including a father who escaped by boat with his wife and two young children.

Diplomacy: Djibouti’s Foreign Minister Abdoulkader Houssein Omar is making an official visit to China through Oct. 25. Seeking Safety: Yemeni families are crossing the Bab el-Mandeb to reach Djibouti as fighting intensifies, adding to the pressures on people displaced by conflict. Youth Football: Djibouti’s U-15 team is scheduled to face Sierra Leone in Baku on Oct. 26, as the FIFA youth festival brings young players together for international competition and cultural exchange.

Diaspora & Memory: A Somali writer’s return to Mogadishu with her father becomes a meditation on war, lost homes and the memories carried across generations. Migration: Yemeni families are crossing the Red Sea to Djibouti to escape fighting, while remote beaches near Obock reveal the dangers of a wider smuggling route, including deadly shipwrecks. Youth Sport: Djibouti’s U-15 team is set to face Sierra Leone and other sides at a FIFA festival in Baku, where young players will meet new football styles and cultures.

Yemeni Families Reach Djibouti: Families fleeing renewed fighting near Yemen’s Mokha port crossed the Red Sea by boat after overland routes became unsafe, arriving with little more than the clothes they wore. Coastal Migration Risks: Remote beaches near Obock are marked by abandoned belongings and graves along a dangerous smuggling route; a recent boat sinking killed at least 139 people, including 15 children. Youth Football: Djibouti’s U-15 team is set to face Sierra Leone at the FIFA youth festival in Baku, offering young players a chance for international competition and cultural exchange.

Youth Football: Djibouti’s U-15 team is set to face Sierra Leone at the FIFA youth festival in Baku, a chance for young players to compete internationally and share the pitch with teams from other cultures. Families on the Move: Yemeni families, including parents with young children, have crossed the Red Sea to Djibouti to escape fighting near Mocha. Migration Dangers: A separate boat carrying more than 300 migrants sank near Obock earlier this month; at least 139 people drowned, including 15 children. Local coastal communities remain on a perilous route between Djibouti and Yemen.

Youth Football: Sierra Leone’s U-15 team has arrived in Baku for the FIFA youth festival, where it is scheduled to face Djibouti on October 26 — a chance for young players to meet through sport and culture. Families Seeking Safety: Yemeni families are crossing the Red Sea to Djibouti as fighting intensifies near Mocha, with some fleeing by boat after overland routes became unsafe. Migration Risks: The perilous crossing near Obock has also claimed lives: a migrant boat capsized earlier this month, leaving at least 139 people dead, including 15 children.

Displacement: Yemeni families are crossing the Red Sea to Djibouti after renewed fighting near Mocha cut off safer overland routes. One family fled by boat with only the clothes they were wearing, as conflict drives more people toward Djibouti. Migrant Safety: The perilous crossing has already turned deadly: a recent boat capsize off Djibouti left at least 109 migrants dead and 116 missing. Youth Sport: Djibouti’s under-15 team is scheduled to face Sierra Leone at FIFA’s inaugural U-15 World Cup and Festival in Baku on October 26.

Regional Tensions: Djibouti is caught between renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia and escalating conflict in Yemen, raising risks for communities and shipping around the Bab el-Mandeb. Migrant Safety: A boat capsized off Djibouti earlier this month, killing at least 139 people. Remote coastal villages also remain a dangerous transit route for migrants heading to Yemen, with abandoned belongings and mass graves marking the peril. Youth Sport: Djibouti’s under-15 team is set to face Sierra Leone at FIFA’s new youth festival in Baku on October 26, giving young players a chance to compete internationally. Diplomacy: Foreign Minister Abdoulkader Houssein Omar is visiting China through October 25 for talks with his Chinese counterpart.

Diplomacy: Djibouti’s foreign minister, Abdoulkader Houssein Omar, is visiting China from October 19 to 25 at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart. Regional Security: A new analysis warns that conflict in northern Ethiopia and escalating tensions in Yemen could put Djibouti under pressure on both sides, with risks to the strategic Bab el-Mandeb strait. Youth Sport: Djibouti’s U-15 footballers are scheduled to face Sierra Leone at the FIFA youth festival in Baku on October 26, part of a tournament bringing together teams from around the world. Migration: A boat disaster off Djibouti’s coast killed at least 139 people, including 15 children, and left 84 missing. The remote northern coastline remains a dangerous route for migrants travelling toward Yemen.

Regional Pressures: Djibouti faces mounting risks as renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia and escalating conflict in Yemen threaten regional stability and the Bab el-Mandeb shipping route. Yemen Displacement: Nearly 4,000 people, mostly women and children, crossed into Djibouti from Yemen in a week, prompting a UN warning that the country cannot manage the influx alone. Migrant Safety: A boat capsized off Djibouti on the Yemen route, killing at least 139 people, including 15 children, with about 84 still missing. Remote coastal communities are also part of a dangerous smuggling corridor. Youth Sport: Djibouti’s under-15 footballers are set to face Sierra Leone at FIFA’s youth festival in Baku on October 26, gaining a chance to test themselves against international teams.

Youth Football: Djibouti’s U-15 side is scheduled to face Sierra Leone on Oct. 26 at FIFA’s inaugural U-15 World Cup and Festival in Baku, giving young players an international stage. Migration and Safety: The Obock shipwreck that killed at least 139 people, with 84 still missing, highlights the dangers of the Yemen route. Remote beaches in northern Djibouti also bear signs of trafficking and past drownings. Yemen Displacement: As fighting displaces more than 233,000 people, UN officials warn that Djibouti cannot manage growing arrivals alone. Thousands have recently crossed the Bab el-Mandeb, many of them women and children. Faith and Community: Djiboutian officials joined African leaders in Utah calling for closer government partnerships with religious communities, including in mediation and early warning.