The past decade in Tanzania has been marked by successful reforms, steady economic growth, and political stability. Despite this progress, Tanzania’s challenge for the future is to create better living conditions for the rural poor, control the spread of HIV/AIDS, address the needs of the largest refugee population in Africa (due to neighboring conflicts), and through education develop the next generation of leaders. Sonya Renner was part of a U.S. Fund delegation from Texas and Georgia and witnessed firsthand how UNICEF impacts the lives of Tanzania’s children, and through them, Tanzania’s future.

Is it a childhood luxury to be able to attend primary school? Are dreams for the future a privilege for a limited few? While the American public education system and its schools face challenges, particularly now, we have an advantage that many countries don’t have: a long and deep-rooted belief that quality education is a right for all children. We work to insure that education is free and compulsory. We teach our children that they can

Lately we’ve been focused on the crises in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The two quite different countries have something big in common at present

“From zero to hero”

Twelve-year-old Ajimoh Yaya used to wake up at 4 A.M. each morning, walk more than a mile in the dark to the Abata River, and trudge home with buckets-full of water for her family’s cooking, drinking and bathing. The river was the only water source for Ajimoh’s village, Araromi Oke, in Ekiti State, Nigeria. In the dry season

The following statement on the humanitarian situation in Darfur, Sudan has been issued jointly and endorsed by UNICEF, UNHCR, UNJLC, WFP, WHO and OCHA on March 6, 2009. For additional information about UNICEF’s work for the children of Darfur, visit: unicefusa.org/darfur.

The Government of Sudan’s order suspending 16 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) will have devastating implications for the citizens of Darfur. Aid operations in North Sudan, the largest humanitarian emergency in the world costing over $2 billion annually, will be irrevocably damaged.

The UN Agencies operating in Sudan (UNICEF, UNHCR, UNJLC, WFP, WHO) and OCHA, are deeply concerned by this situation. The suspended NGOs account for more than half of the capacity for the aid operation in Darfur. If the lifesaving assistance these agencies were providing is not restored shortly, it will have immediate, lasting and profound impacts on the well-being of millions of Sudanese citizens.

It is not possible, in any reasonable time frame, to replace the capacity and expertise these agencies have provided over an extended period of time. The decision to expel these sixteen organizations, our main implementing partners, effectively removes some 6,500 staff, or 40 percent of the humanitarian workforce, from being able to carry out critical humanitarian activities in Darfur.

These organizations provide a lifeline to 4.7 million people in Darfur alone, and millions more in other areas of Northern Sudan. While some 85 international NGOs operate in Darfur, without these organizations much of the aid operation literally comes to a halt.

We are also alarmed that the Government has confiscated assets from these organizations, which are critical to the humanitarian operation, including computers, vehicles and communications equipment.

While the UN agencies reaffirm their commitment to do everything possible to cover the most pressing and critical gaps caused by this suspension during the coming days, neither this commitment nor remaining capacity on the ground is sufficient to meet the humanitarian needs in the long run. As such, we appeal to the Government of Sudan to urgently reconsider this decision and to restore our ability to assist their most vulnerable citizens.

To make an immediate, online donation in support of UNICEF’s continuing work for the children of Darfur and Sudan, visit: unicefusa.org/donate/darfur.

Did you happen to catch New York Times Columnist Stuart Elliott’s feature story about the Tap Project in yesterday’s business section? He did a great job discussing how the annual campaign to help raise funds for UNICEF’s clean water and sanitation programs has grown from a local NYC-based initiative in 2007, to a flourishing national movement in 2009.

The piece even features some of the creative promotional materials and innovative ad campaigns that the Tap Project’s newest media partners in Puerto Rico and Utah (among others) have created to raise awareness and raise vital dollars.

Click here to check out the article, if you haven’t already. Or visit www.nytimes.com/business/media and look for Elliott’s article titled, “A Campaign for Clean Drinking Water Expands.”