George Harrison fund for UNICEF announces donation for Bangladesh Cyclone Relief

NEW YORK, 3 December 2007 - The George Harrison Fund for UNICEF today announced a donation of $450,000 for relief and recovery efforts for the victims of Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh.

The cyclone hit Bangladesh on November 15 affecting about 8.5 million people in 30 districts. More than 3,000 deaths have been confirmed to date. Approximately half of the affected people are children and an estimated 600,000 of them are under five years of age.

The contribution - which will be evenly split between immediate relief and longer-term recovery interventions - will go towards meeting the immediate funding needs of UNICEF, currently estimated at almost $30-million.

George Harrison had a long association with Bangladesh and UNICEF.  The landmark benefit concert held on August 1st 1971, which aside from George himself featured Ravi Shankar, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Leon Russell and Billy Preston, was the first of it's kind and is recognized as the inspiration behind more recent humanitarian fundraising ventures like ‘Band Aid' and ‘Live Aid'.

"I am pleased that the commitment that George and Ravi Shankar made to the crisis in Bangladesh more than three decades ago is once again reaching out to assist the victims of Cyclone Sidr. Children are at their most vulnerable during natural disasters and it is incumbent upon all of us to act fast to save as many lives as possible," said Olivia Harrison.

"With such a large number of children affected in Bangladesh, UNICEF is playing a key role in ensuring their survival in the coming weeks and months," said Caryl Stern, President and CEO of the US Fund for UNICEF. "This contribution keeps alive George Harrison's longstanding tradition of goodwill towards Bangladesh, but shows that children need our assistance, regardless of the borders they are born between."
In 2005, Mrs. Harrison launched the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF in her late husband's name with an initial donation of $1 million. It specifically targets UNICEF programs in Bangladesh but also provides lifesaving assistance to children suffering from civil conflict, natural disasters and poverty elsewhere. The launch of the fund coincided with the release of a DVD and CD of ‘The Concert for Bangladesh' which generates further income for the fund.

With cold weather on the way, children and women in Bangladesh require urgent life-saving assistance such as medical supplies, food, clothing and shelter to be able to survive. Other critical priorities include ensuring access to a safe water supply and sanitation facilities to mitigate the threat of waterborne diseases such as cholera and dysentery, to which children are particularly susceptible.

UNICEF is working with the government, other UN agencies and partner NGOs to bring relief in the areas of water and sanitation, health, education and child protection. UNICEF has been on the ground in Bangladesh since 1952, with a staff of more than 220. Since the early 1970s, one of the world's largest UNICEF-supported water supply programs has been operating in the country.

About UNICEF
UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence.  The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS.  UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

For more information about UNICEF, please visit http://www.unicefusa.org/. Or call 800 4UNICEF.

Assalamualikum( may peace be on you). Around 20 million people and more have been affected severely by the Hurricane Sidr that swept through Bangladesh on Nov 15. Most lost their homes and all their belongings which they had accumulated through decades of struggle. People are crying for food, let alone shelter or cloth in this winter season here in Bangladesh.
I appeal to all who are reading to donate according to your abilities to the poor victims. Together, we can help them to survive, to build their homes and to get back to a normal life Inshallah ( Allah willing). Let's change their lives. Thank you.

N.B. Donations can be made through various organizations e.g. CARE, Red Cross, UNICEF, etc.

Assalamualikum and hello. The world cup of cricket has begun. Most here at zaadz probably don't know much about the game of cricket. Well it is predominantly played in the Commonwealth countries, but other countries are also coming up now, like US and China.
I remember the days when I used to be glued to the tv during the world cup, watch ball after ball. As you grow up, other things in life take centre stage, and the enthusiasm lessens.Still the world cup remains world cup, a not-to-be-missed event.
This year Bangladesh has already sprung up a surprise by beating New Zealand in the warm ups. Hope they can carry this form to the main event. As I am writing, the inaugural match is being played between West Indies and Pakistan. All the matches will be played in the night according to Bangladesh time. So I have to stay up late late in the night, which I usually do.:) But right now I have got exams and presentations and projects and what not, so I am not sure whether I will follow every match.

Here's wishing a fantabulous world cup 2007.