American Relief Agency for the Horn of Africa's (AHARA) mission is to strive to alleviate the suffering from hunger, illiteracy, diseases, and poverty in the Horn of Africa, as well as help the east African community in Minnesota. The Horn of Africa has become the land of hunger, war, famine, and disease. The Horn of Africa is considered one of the poorest regions in the world, and ongoing droughts continue to plague this region. Long wars and ethnic conflicts have further complicated the already deplorable situation. The most recent United Nations studies estimate that 16 million people in the Horn of Africa are in urgent need of food and other humanitarian assistance.