More than 40 Twin Cities restaurants will donate profits to Somalia aid effort on Friday

As the humanitarian crises in Somalia and other parts of east Africa worsen, a group of Twin Cities restaurateurs are collaborating to help raise awareness and ease the struggle.

On April 7, more than 40 restaurants and coffee shops around the metro area will participate in Dine Out for Somalia, a one-day fundraiser aiming to help provide relief for drought and famine. The businesses – most of which are African-inspired and include Afro Deli, Safari Restaurant and Red Sea – have pledged to donate a percentage of the profits made that day.

Many are offering as much as 50 percent. The goal is to raise at least $150,000.

Longtime droughts in Somalia and other areas in the Horn of Africa have become more dire in recent months, putting the lives of more than 20 million people across four countries at risk. International aid workers have called this one of the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II. More than a quarter of a million people died in the country's last severe drought, which lasted from 2010 to 2012. (Read our story on how Minnesotans are fighting the African famine here.)

Participating restaurants include:

African Paradise Restaurant: 2700 E Lake Street #1300, Mpls., 612-354-2551

Afro Deli MPLS: 720 Washington Avenue. Mpls., 612-871-5555

Afro Deli STP: 5 W 7th Place. St. Paul, 651-888-2168

BaarakAllah Restaurant: 408 Cedar Avenue S #1, Mpls., 612-332-1822

Barwaaqo Coffee (Village Market): 912 E 24th Street. Mpls., 612-275-7750

Caano's Kitchen (Karmel Square): 2910 Pillsbury Avenue S. Mpls., 612-367-4548

Capitol Cafe: 2417 E Franklin Avenue, Mpls., 612-354-2515

Crescent Moon Bakery: 2339 Central Ave NE, Mpls., 612-782-0169

Daalo Pizza & Grill: 2627 Nicollet Avenue. Mpls., 612-259-8789

Daily Cairo Grill: 1922 Chicago Ave, Mpls., 612-870-6200

Daud Restaurant (Karmel Square): 2910 Pillsbury Avenue S. Mpls., 612-208-1548

Deg-Deg Grill (Village Market): 912 E 24th Street. Mpls., 612-259-7933

Deg-Deg Grill (Karmel Square): 2910 Pillsbury Avenue S. Mpls., 612-825-1466

Dillas Restaurant: 1813 Riverside Ave, Mpls., 612-332-2898

Diyar Restaurant (Karmel Square): 2910 Pillsbury Avenue S. Mpls.

Franklin Restaurant:137 E Franklin Ave, Mpls., 612-872-5222

Hamdi Restaurant: 818 E Lake St. Mpls., 612-823-9660

Harwanaag Restaurant: 2532 25th Avenue S. Mpls., 612-990-6466

Holy Land: 2513 Central Ave NE, Mpls., 612-781-2627

Hooyo's Kitchen (Karmel Square): 2910 Pillsbury Avenue S. Mpls., 612-236-4343

Jubba Restaurant (Village Market): 912 E 24th Street. Mpls., 612-871-7200

Juice House (Karmel Square): 2910 Pillsbury Avenue S. Mpls.

Kaah Restaurant (Village Market): 912 E 24th Street. Mpls., 612-872-5224

Karmel Restaurant (Karmel Square): 2910 Pillsbury Avenue S. Mpls.

Kilimanjaro Restaurant: 3024 5th Ave S., Mpls.,612-200-9349

Kulan Restaurant (Village Market): 912 E 24th Street. Mpls., 612-874-3285

Lavazza Coffee (Karmel Square): 2910 Pillsbury Avenue S. Mpls., 612-607-4873

Mapps Coffee (Cedar Riverside): 1810 Riverside Ave, Mpls., 612-597-4255

Masha'Allah Restaurant (Cedar Riverside): 605 Cedar Ave S, Mpls., 612-333-3776

Quruxlow Restaurant: 1414 E Lake Street. Mpls., 612-722-1480

Quruxlow Restaurant (Karmel Square): 2910 Pillsbury Avenue S. Mpls.

Red Sea: 320 Cedar Ave S, Mpls., 612-333-1644

Safari Express: 920 E Lake St # 134, Mpls., 612-874-0756

Safari Restaurant: 3010 4th Avenue South, Mpls., 612-353-5341

Sagal Restaurant (Cedar Riverside): 411 Cedar Ave S., Mpls.

Sahan Restaurant (Village Market): 912 E 24th Street. Mpls., 612-870-2992

Sanag Restaurant: 3007 Cedar Ave S., Mpls., 612-722-5270

Sudi Coffee & Juice (Village Market): 912 E 24th Street. Mpls., 612-871-6004

Twin Cities Deli & Coffee: 1603 Chicago Ave, Mpls., 612-338-3446

West Bank Diner (Cedar Riverside): 324 Cedar Ave S, Mpls., 612-333-2211

West Bank Groceries & Deli (Cedar Riverside): 417 Cedar Ave S, Mpls., 612-338-2720

Willo Restaurant (Karmel Square): 2910 Pillsbury Avenue S. Mpls., 612-636-5499

Xijaz Smoothies & Coffee (Village Market): 912 E 24th St., Mpls.