by Roger Moore
I quote: ‘The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund is a United Nations programme headquartered in New York City that provides humanitarian and developmental assistance to children and mothers in developing countries.’
The organization is part of the UN but is not funded by the UN: support comes from individual countries, governments, corporations and individuals – hence the need for ambassadors like me to help raise awareness and funds. I won’t say Kristina and I have visited all of the 190 countries and territories in which UNICEF has bases, but we have visited a significant number of them over the years.
I’ve said and written much about UNICEF over those years, but here I just really wanted to highlight how much more work there is still to do and the continuing importance of the charity. You see, over 20,000 children under the age of five die each day from preventable causes: I’m talking about from illnesses like measles, malaria or tetanus; from marginalization, conflict and HIV/AIDS; from malnutrition and the lack of safe water and sanitation.
Children with these diseases and issues do not need to die and can be saved by vaccines, antibiotics, micronutrient supplementation, insecticide-treated bed nets and improved family care and breastfeeding practices.
I know I won’t ever see the day when UNICEF is not needed but I do hope that day will come, and children do not die needlessly.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I’d like to extend my gratitude to Gareth Owen for taking my ramblings and notes and helping me to put this tome together.
My most appreciative thanks also to my terrific publishers, Michael O’Mara Books and their keen-eyed editor Louise Dixon, in our fourth happy collaboration, for all their help, encouragement and continued royalty cheques. The book’s designer, Ana Bjezancevic, deserves a special mention for making the book, and me, look good. Iris Harwood helped proofread my jottings, so blame her if you spot any errors.
A big thanks also to Alan and Titti Tomkins, Katherine Dale and Andrew Boyle for answering the call of duty.
Last, but by no means least, reflecting back over all these years wouldn’t be possible without the love and support of my wonderful family and my darling wife, Kristina.
The Tree of Love, sketched for my darling Kristina on Valentine’s Day 2017.
Also by Roger Moore
My Word is My Bond
Bond on Bond
Last Man Standing