Beckham to make TV appeal on behalf of tsunami victims

Beckham to make TV appeal on behalf of tsunami victims

LONDON: England captain and Real Madrid star David Beckham will make a worldwide television appeal on behalf of tsunami victims after being appointed as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador on Wednesday. UNICEF said Beckham's 30-second public service announcement would be a valuable fund-raising tool as the organization seeks to raise 76.5 million pounds (euro109 million, US$143 million) to help the 1.5 million children affected by the disaster in southern Asia and parts of Africa. "I, like any other person, was deeply moved by the effects of the tsunami disaster," Beckham said in a statement released by UNICEF. "So many people have lost loved ones and particularly children have suffered greatly with over a million who are vulnerable and at risk of disease. "People have been so generous to date and it is important that they continue to donate money to organizations such as UNICEF to help in aid relief and reconstruction." Beckham's messages were filmed in Copenhagen, Denmark, this week as he visited UNICEF's supply division. The recordings will be sent around the world to UNICEF centers, which will negotiate individually with their national broadcasters about when the appeal will be aired. "We are absolutely delighted that David Beckham has come on board as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador," UNICEF executive director Carol Bellamy said. "The global TV appeal he has recorded will be enormously useful to help UNICEF meet the immediate survival needs of children affected by the tsunami in the short term and in the weeks and months ahead as they rebuild their lives." -- AP