<p>Off the back of last years success of raising &pound;120,000.00 for the victims of the Pakistan Flood Appeal; the HSBC Islamic Society has teamed up with UWT to raise money for the victims of the drought in the Horn of Africa</p> <p>UWT has a 100% donation policy and this is an appeal where you can give your zakat. Please do not forget to give Gift Aid if you are entitled to</p> <p>10 million people are suffering in the Horn of Africa amidst the worst drought seen in 60 years. Poverty has become extreme: children are dying of starvation, pregnancies are resulting in miscarriages and farmers&rsquo; livelihoods are being destroyed.<br /><br />800 exhausted children from Somalia are entering refugee camps in neighbouring Kenya every day. In the past two weeks alone, 20,000 Muslims have crossed into Kenya. Here they are facing even more problems from the army and local government.<br /><br />Many mothers along with their children say they have walked for a month on bare and bloodied feet. Journeys of more than 300 miles are common. In their search for food and water, they have slept for weeks on burning sand under open skies.<br /><br />Water is now so scarce that the governor of the Middle Shabelle region, Abdullahi Moalim Hussain, recently said: <em>&lsquo;Water is so expensive in the area that people are being buried without being washed, which is compulsory in Islam.&rsquo;</em><br /><br />As civil strife escalates in Somalia and aid agencies flee the country, our brothers and sisters are facing a terrible situation.<br /><br />Ummah Welfare Trust is increasing the scale of relief operations in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia but needs the generous support of its donors now more than ever. If we quench the thirst of our fellow brothers and sisters today, surely Allah Subhanahu wa ta&rsquo;ala will quench our thirst on the Day of Judgement.</p>