Food crisis in Horn of Africa.

Despite humanitarian mobilisation and emergency relief, the situation in the Horn of Africa remains dire. Drought, conflict and poverty have left more than ten million people in Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia and Djibouti in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. The world's most severe food crisis is getting worse, increasing the daily risks for millions of already vulnerable people.

Increasing drought has aggravated an already precarious situation for many chronically food insecure households, with some pastoral zones experiencing the driest period in 60 years. The effects of climate change, combined with high local cereal prices, increasing livestock mortality and conflict have furthermore exacerbated the impacts of the drought.

The food crisis is causing massive displacement in Somalia. A quarter of Somalia's 7.5 million population is now either internally displaced or living outside the country as refugees. 80 percent of refugees arriving in neighbouring Kenya are women and children, who travel without male company, money, food or clothing and who are especially vulnerable to dangers, such as rape, abduction and even death.

As it is often the case, women are disproportionally affected by the current drought. In many communities, women are the last ones to eat when food is limited, after children and men. Women also usually shoulder the largest burden in collecting drinking water and now spend hours doing so.

In the northern Kenya refugee camps of Dadaab, the largest in the world, the situation is reaching breaking point. More than 377,000 refugees have sought shelter and approximately 1,800 refugees arrive per day, putting severe pressure on already limited resources in overcrowded camps. Sexual violence against women has increased dramatically, with 358 incidents from January until June 2011, a fourfold increase from the same period in 2010. The refugees are also facing increased tensions from local populations who are also in need of assistance. CARE is distributing food from the World Food Programme (WFP) to the refugees in Dadaab; however, without additional funding, the food aid pipeline for refugees will run dry by September.

Islamic Aid has launched an emergency appeal for £250,000 to provide food, water, and emergency relief in the eastern Horn of Africa. We are scaling up our response to reach more people affected by the emergency, through meeting their most urgent needs.

Islamic Aid's emergency response in the Horn of Africa includes the provision of food and water, training on safe hygiene and supporting livelihoods through cash-for-work programs.

Donate to Islamic Aid Africa Food Crisis Appeal