DUBAI Internationally acclaimed artist Sami Yusuf appealed today to the media and donors not to forget the people of the Horn of Africa crisis facing hunger and, in some areas, the continuing impact of the worst drought in 60 years.Most victims are Somali families, who continue to run away from conflicts and drought affecting their country and, when lucky, find themselves in refugee camps in Kenya and Ethiopia, said Sami Yusuf, a Celebrity Partner for the UN World Food Programme (WFP), during a press conference in Dubai. They never asked to be there; our conscience and humanity cannot allow us to let those people down.The British singer and composer dedicated his latest song Forgotten Promises to the fight against hunger in the Horn of Africa. The song is at the heart of a unique fundraising campaign entitled LiveFeed. All proceeds will be donated to WFP to help sustain and scale-up its relief efforts in the region, where millions of lives and livelihoods are still being threatened.Yusufs initiative, through his partnership with WFP, aims at reviving donors interest to help WFP address the severe food crisis. The multi-talented artist, who has millions of dedicated followers, said he will continue to address the wider cause of fighting hunger through his music.I chose this fight because I find it unbearable that one in seven people in the world still goes hungry to bed every night, and that five million children die of hunger-related causes every year, he said. Hunger is a solvable problem. From the moment we know that, we have to do something about it. LiveFeed offers people the opportunity to fight hunger in the Horn of Africa by downloading the song, or making a direct donation online through www.livefeedafrica.org. With each song downloaded at US$0.99, WFP is able to feed two people in the Horn of Africa for a day. The CD version of Forgotten Promises will hit music stands across the Middle East in the coming days, enabling Yusufs fans and LiveFeed supporters to help feed five people in the drought-stricken region with each CD purchased.During the press event hosted by the Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates, the music video of Forgotten Promises was revealed for the first time to the media. Directed by music video director Siros Kerdouni and filmed in 16 cities across the globe, the video includes scenes featuring Sami Yusuf playing the piano in the middle of the desert and in the empty streets of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, which were cleared especially for the video shoot. Also present at the event were senior representatives from the UAE Red Crescent Authority, WFPs local charity partner for this campaign; Al Aroud Group and RUS Aviation, the campaigns main sponsors; and JWT, the communications agency behind the LiveFeed creative concept. WFP is providing food assistance to nearly 8 million people in the Horn of Africa. The situation however remains dire, particularly in central and southern Somalia. Significant progress on the ground has been made over the past few months with WFPs food assistance but we still need to reach out to millions of people and most importantly to help support these communities in their efforts to rebuild their shattered lives, said Ashraf Hamouda, WFP Head of Partnership and Business Development for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf region. Video Links :1. Sami Yusuf’s Forgotten Promises – The Song – HD2. Sami Yusuf’s Forgotten Promises – Behind the Scene Video – HD3. Sami Yusuf thanking RUS Aviation and Al Aroud Group for Supporting Live Feed – HDAbout WFP: WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. Each year, on average, WFP feeds more than 90 million people in more than 70 countries.WFP now provides RSS feeds to help journalists keep up with the latest press releases, videos and photos as they are published on WFP.org. For more details see: http:www.wfp.org/rss To donate to WFPs Horn of Africa online appeal through the LiveFeed campaign, go to: https:www.wfp.org/donate/hoa_livefeed Follow us on Twitter @wfp_mediaFor more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):Elise Bijon, WFP/Dubai, Tel. +971 4 368 1383Abeer Etefa, WFP/Cairo, Tel. +202 2528 1730 ext. 2600 Mob. +2 010 666 34352 Reem Nada, WFP/Cairo, Tel. +202 2528 1730 ext. 2610, Mob. +2 010 666 34522About Sami Yusuf:Endowed with a strong cultural affiliation to music and having studied music with several renowned composers, including those from one of the world’s most prestigious music institutes the Royal Academy of Music in London, Sami learned to play several musical instruments at a very young age. His groundbreaking debut Al-Muallim sold over 3 million copies. It was then succeeded by his second release — the highly acclaimed, My Ummah which sold well over 4 million copies. Sami has headlined the CNN, BBC, ABC, Al Jazeerah and every mainstream channel in the Arab world and Turkey. He has been hailed by Time magazine as Islam’s biggest Rock Star and The most famous British Muslim in the World by The Guardian. He is the first and the youngest Muslim recipient of the honorary Doctor of Letters award by the University of Roehampton in recognition to his extraordinary contribution to music.Sami has played across four continents, selling out prestigious venues such as Wembley Arena in London, Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and The Velodrome in Cape Town, South Africa and has recently made history by becoming the First International artist to perform in post-revolution Egypt. His most notable show saw a staggering 250,000 people pack Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey.Sami is one of the UK’s biggest exports in the last decade. In the course of 7 years, he has masterfully navigated through unchartered waters he has won over the hearts and minds of millions from across the Middle East, Europe, North America and North Africa. His compass, in principle, has been his self-coined genre Spiritique. Manifested both musically and philosophically in his third album, Wherever You Are, Spiritique is a product of Samis identity. Sami is a passionate advocate of unity and is boldly committed to cross-cultural appreciation through promotion of universal values and celebration of the human spirit.For more information, visit www.samiyusufofficial.com, www.facebook.com/samiyusuf or contact:info@etminternational.comTel: +971 4 3132061Fax: +971 4 3132062About RUS Aviation and Al Aroud Group:SHARJAH: Rus Aviation was established in 1999 under the inspiring leadership of Mr.Saleh Al Aroud. With the intentions of filling the niche in the aviation industry, Rus Aviation has been serving local, regional and international clients for all their needs of Air Charter services, Air Cargo Charter, Cargo Consolidation, Ground Handling, Fuel Supply, Over-Flying & Landing permissions. Based in one of the fastest growing aviation hubs in the region the Sharjah Airport International Free Zone, Rus Aviation has grown today into one of the most reputable and sought-after service provider and under the guidance of Mr. Saleh Al Aroud, it has gone beyond the region and is reaching out to clients and companies all across the globe. Following the phenomenal success of RUS Aviation, the group has created business opportunities in various sectors such as, Travel & Destination Management, Hospitality, Information Technology, Real Estate & Financial Brokerage. The ensuing success in these sectors too, has given rise to the Al Aroud Group. Today, the group has more than 8 operating companies in various business sectors. Every company under the umbrella of AL Aroud Group operates independently, and the Group takes pride in bringing together a team of professionals with a wide range of skills, which enable them to offer the highest standards of service to meet any requirement. Al Aroud Group created a savvy environment professional approach with dedication and commitment, which has brought accolades from local, regional and international clientele, including governments and public sector. For more information, please visit www.rusaviation.ae / www.alaroudgroup.ae or contact:Email : info@alaroudgroup.aeTel. +971 6 5572277Fax. +971 6 5572299About JWT:JWT is the worlds best-known marketing communications brand. Headquartered in New York, JWT is a true global network with more than 200 offices in over 90 countries employing nearly 10,000 marketing professionals. JWT consistently ranks among the top agency networks in the world and continues its dominant presence in the industry by staying on the leading edgefrom producing the first-ever TV commercial in 1939 to developing award-winning branded content for brands such as Smirnoff, Macys, Ford and HSBC. JWTs pioneering spirit enables the agency to forge deep relationships with clients including Bayer, Bloomberg, Cadbury, Diageo, DTC, Ford, HSBC, Johnson & Johnson, Kelloggs, Kimberly-Clark, Kraft, Nestl, Nokia, Rolex, Royal Caribbean, Schick, Shell, Unilever, Vodafone and many others. JWTs parent company is WPP (NASDAQ: WPPGY).For more information, visit www.jwt.com

Source: Live Feed + WFP