While the 12-12-12 concert for Sandy Relief was taking place at Madison Square Garden, a few blocks away UNICEF Ambassador Pau Gasol was meeting with U.S. Fund for UNICEF supporters as a reminder that millions of children around the world also need our help. Pau, who has been working with UNICEF for ten years, discussed his recent field visit to Chad (a trip he made after winning a silver medal with Spain in the London Olympics), where he experienced firsthand the efforts UNICEF is undertaking to combat the nutritional crisis in Africa’s Sahel region.

In the world of nutrition, Professor Michael Golden is something of a celebrity. He is famous for his work developing Formula 100 (F-100), which is the basis for therapeutic foods that treat malnutrition. Receiving proper nutrition is a key element for children to reach their fifth birthday.

An estimated 1 million children stand on the brink of severe acute malnutrition in the Sahel region of Africa. UNICEF is calling for an intensive and immediate response to the crisis, detailed in a Humanitarian Action Update released today. Sahel is one of the poorest regions in the world where children already face daunting odds of survival. Without immediate humanitarian aid an already desperate situation will only become worse. Inadequate rain, poor harvests and rising food prices have left hundreds of thousands of children vulnerable and weak. UNICEF is providing nutrition supplies, as well as clean water and sanitation facilities at feeding centers. Please donate online to support UNICEF’s relief efforts for children in emergencies.