Clay Aiken's Afghanistan Appeal for UNICEF Passes $160,000, With Fundraising Drive Ending This Weekend

BREAKING NEWS: Watch Clay on Entertainment Tonight on Friday, April 20, talking about Afghanistan. Check HERE for show times!



UNICEF Ambassador Clay Aiken's $100,000 in 10 Days for Afghanistan Appeal has now far exceeded that goal, raising $161,798.82 as of 9:00 AM EDT Friday, April 20, according to the UNICEF Fieldnotes blog.

UNICEF has now extended the challenge by showing how $200,000 could supply 970 hand water pumps to increase clean water availability to families or provide 333 tents to use for temporary classrooms and community programs. Donations will also support other UNICEF health and education programs for children and women in Afghanistan.















UNICEF Ambassador Clay Aiken arrives at Bamyan outpost. Clay grew a beard and dressed in traditional Afghan men's attire to show respect for Afghanistan's customs.



Clay completed a five day field visit to Afghanistan last week, traveling from the capital city of Kabul to a remote UNICEF outpost in Bamyan, This visit is a feature story on the international UNICEF website, which also features photos and video of Clay's journey from UNICEF Television. (The video can be viewed or downloaded using RealPlayer.)

Video from Clay's field visit is now also available for viewing on the UNICEF MySpace page and is also posted below:

UNICEF Ambassador Clay Aiken visits Afghanistan

















Clay administers oral polio vaccine to a newborn at the Sadat Health Clinic in Bamyan Province. The Taliban had blocked shipments of polio vaccines into Afghanistan, with difficult-to-access areas like Bamyan particularly hard-hit because of risks to aid workers' security.


Donations for Clay Aiken's emergency appeal to support UNICEF's programs in Afghanistan are being accepted through Sunday, April 22. Please go HERE and donate today to support these important programs assisting the health and education of Afghanistan's children.
















Observing an outdoor classroom at Shirin Hazara School.















Clay addresses the international press at a news conference in Kabul on April 11. His field visit was hosted by UNAMA, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.


Photos and Video: UNICEF

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, UNICEF, UNAMA, United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, US Fund for UNICEF, Fieldnotes, education, Afghanistan, children, Kabul, Bamyan, health, American Idol, Entertainment Tonight

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