Many people look for a savior in some areas of the world that are bleak and full of large-scale violence that doesn’t end. Poverty, wars, famine, and many other issues affect the lives of children for their entire lifetime. Whether the children in Israel and Palestine are victims of the battles between the two nations or the children in Madagascar who can barely scrounge up enough food due to climate change, there is always some problem that demands a solution. Some non-profit organizations specialize in saving youth from disasters all over the world. One of the prominent organizations that continues to help children every day is UNICEF.
Established in 1946, UNICEF is a non-profit agency the United Nations created to combat humanitarian disasters by supplementing some form of aid. The agency has become well known for its mission as it has maintained a presence in over 192 countries worldwide. When it comes to ensuring that children have a healthy well-being, UNICEF provides everything from immunizations, medications, food and education. UNICEF was originally created to provide relief towards children and mothers who suffered in World War II. Now, the organization has expanded to any nation that faces a conflict. Since 1953, the agency has become a part of the United Nations.
UNICEF is funded by voluntary contributions from outside sources. These contributions go a long way in keeping UNICEF operational in over 192 countries. In the countries where UNICEF operates, there is usually an office where the host government and the organization work together to accomplish their tasks. The people who work in these offices recognize that the women and children are at the top of the list for saving. It is through that lens in which the host government and the organization strategize about what resources should be given to ensure that work gets done. All the managerial tasks take place in New York City, close to the United Nations.
Right now, the one effort that UNICEF is truly focused on is the war between Israel and Palestine. Tempers between both sides is not going to cool down any time soon. In the meantime, UNICEF is doing everything it can to provide food and shelter to the children who have lost their homes in the midst of the fighting and have nowhere else to go. Gaza is one of the many places that has lost any access to food, medicine, and other basic necessities because of the blockades that have been set around the region by Israel.
For more information about UNICEF, check out this video about the organization as well as their website, which explains their mission.
International Affairs by Jack Peeples 
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