The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is a United Nations agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide. What about in Chicago, Illinois, USA? On Saturday, June 27, 2020, 20-month-old Sincere Gaston was fatally shot in the chest as he rode in a car seat. The previous weekend, 3-year-old Mekhi James was shot and killed in Chicago as well. I sent out an exasperated tweet to Mayor Lori Lightfoot:
It was too much to take. What do these international organizations do? Their website says:
UNICEF believes All children have a right to survive, thrive and fulfill their potential – to the benefit of a better world.
Then I heard about the death of 4-year-old LeGend Taliferro who was killed by a gunman’s bullet while sleeping in his bed in Kansas City, Missouri. I tweeted again:
I truly consider subjecting children and innocent people to the brutality of war to be a humanitarian crisis (not unlike any other war-torn country we read about). Does Henrietta Fore @unicefchief and Lori Lightfoot (as well as the leadership in all violent communities) have a duty to do something drastic here? I will keep you updated on my effort to find out who is going to protect these children.
Donna
Sources: https://www.unicef.org/about-unicef