With 17 million facing food shortages in the Horn of Africa, this year's World Food Day (16 October 2008) takes on a special significance.

The theme of this year's World Food Day is 'World Food Insecurity - the challenge of climate change.' In the Horn of Africa the affects of climate change are vividly played out. Droughts here are becoming more frequent and more intense, and as they do communities are failing to cope.

Yesuf Abdella, Islamic Relief's Head of Mission in Kenya explains, 'In 2005 - 6 there was a serious drought in the Horn of Africa. Pastoralists lost most of their livestock which are their livelihoods and their means of survival. However, when the long rains of 2008 failed as well, they had not had enough to rebuild their herds. Consequently they are feeling this new crisis acutely.'

In Kenya, around 1.4 million people are facing food shortages. Most of these people live in the north-east of the country which has been worst affected by the recent drought and rising food prices, and where the global rate of malnutrition is around 27 per cent.

In Ethiopia, over 6.4 million people are experiencing food shortages and are in need of assistance. The global food crisis and poor harvests mean that the cost of food in Ethiopia has risen by 330 per cent in the last year.

In both these countries, Islamic Relief is working to help those affected by the food and water shortages, by setting up supplementary feeding centres, rehabilitating water schemes and distributing clean water.

Islamic Relief is also helping people cope with future drought and food shortages that are now inevitable in this part of the world. This is being done by irrigating agricultural land, training communities in new agricultural techniques and in Ethiopia by providing veterinary services to keep people's precious livestock alive and healthy.

Yesuf said, 'Islamic Relief has established some unique projects to help those affected by the food crisis and reduce their vulnerability in the future. Already these projects are having positive results and people are now growing their own food.

'However, more still needs to be done to help mitigate the effects of climate change in this region. Many communities still lack any coping mechanisms to cope with drought and so are very vulnerable to future crises.'

For more information contact: Helen Mould, Press Coordinator 0044 121 622 0719

ENDS

For further information about Islamic Relief visit www.islamic-relief.com

Islamic Relief is a British international NGO with its Headquarters in Birmingham, UK. We seek to promote sustainable economic and social development by working with local communities through relief and development programmes. Established in the UK in 1984, Islamic Relief is dedicated to alleviating the poverty and suffering of the world's poorest people regardless of race, religion or gender.