1888-92 - The Great Ethiopian Famine claims one-third of the population in affected areas

1913 - Major drought causes starvation across East Africa

1972-4 - Famine in Ethiopia

1984-5 - Famine, drought and conflict in Ethiopia kills nearly 1 million people

2002-4 - Hunger crisis sweeps Africa; more than 40 million people need emergency aid

2005 - Rains fail completely across sub-Saharan Africa, following several years of inadequate rainfall

2006 Jan-March- 11 million people across East Africa and the Horn in urgent need of food aid

Sept- Rains reduce number in need to 8 million

2007 - Aid agencies say more than 300,000 people are affected by heavy flooding, triggered by torrential rains which began at the end of 2006. Many are cut off from food aid by the flood waters. Renewed insecurity in Somalia also places hundreds of thousands at risk

2008 - Aid agencies say both Ethiopia and Somalia facing life-threatening food shortages