Last week, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) convened a forum called “Opportunity Africa: 2013” at Delaware State University in Dover, Delaware. The conference brought together interested citizens of Delaware with individuals from government and the private sector who work on a range of issues related to Africa. Topics included trade, business, security, geopolitics, international development and humanitarian issues. The momentum to save children that is coming from Africa is notable, as Africa’s leaders seek partners and support in the effort to get to ZERO preventable child deaths.

Famine was declared in the East Africa in July, creating an acute child survival crisis for those caught in the drought-affected regions. My inbox was host to unimaginable updates from colleagues based in Nairobi, Mogadishu and Addis Ababa. Veteran UNICEF staff members who had experiened decades of manmade and natural disasters were reduced to tears when recounting the children and conditions they were witnessing.

We are asking our supporters to help us raise $200,000 by the end of the day tomorrow. This will allow UNICEF to keep supplying the therapeutic food, affordable vaccines and clean water that can help save millions of children suffering from malnutrition in the Horn of Africa and around the world.

Today, we share a headline that is simply too important to let pass. UNICEF’s Maulid Warfa is real life superhero – someone who overcomes impossibilities and confronts danger to save others. In spite of obstacles that would paralyze most of us, he has persisted, and in the process, helped to save and protect the lives of countless children.

Today is the 40th Anniversary of George Harrison’s 1971 Concert for Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden. This historic concert, the first of its size to bring together musicians in the United States for a humanitarian cause, resulted in the creation of the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF (GHFU) at the U.S. Fund.

While the original concert raised $250,000, the sales of the album, video, & DVDs of the performance have raised over $15,000,000 for UNICEF over the last 40 years. Thus, our desire to celebrate the Anniversary, which has now turned into a Horn of Africa fundraiser in honor of and in memory of George’s philanthropic legacy.

Tomorrow is a historic day for the children and people of South Sudan. After years of conflict, a new country is emerging, with new hope for a more peaceful and prosperous future for all its citizens.