NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 8, 2017 / Committed philanthropist Alexander Lakhanpal CFA, CPA, a devoted advocate of humanitarian causes, acts as a focussed supporter of both the Red Cross and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Both of these Nobel Prize-winning organisations have lengthy histories of resounding success in the delivery of crucial aid to those in need. As a member of the Board of Directors of Abraham House—a community-based philanthropic service provider situated in the South Bronx, Lakhanpal understands the positive impact charitable societies can make, whether towards a local, small-scale population or on greater scales, such as those encompassed by the movements of the Red Cross and UNICEF.
The International Red Cross Society founded in 1864 and UNICEF established in 1946 were both established with mandates to provide relief to those affected by war, natural disasters and/or lack of national resources resulting in suffering or developmental barriers. Often, they work in concert through shared funding and on-the-ground responsibilities to combat crises such as the looming famine in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan and Northeast Nigeria where "more than 20 million people are facing famine" (as reported recently to the New York Times by the International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent) due to ongoing regional conflicts and severe drought. These initiatives are funded through voluntary private, governmental and non-governmental contributions. Alexander Lakhanpal urges those who are able to, to donate or volunteer in aid of both agencies' missions.
The Red Cross is an international movement comprised of 190 national country associates with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide, governed and coordinated by a global committee and federation; individuals looking to support their plight can choose to donate directly to a national association or to the joint-efforts of several national associations working in tandem to address a specific crisis. In the United States, the American Red Cross administers a budget of $2.5 billion towards laudable service in bloodwork, health and safety, disaster relief, education and communications for military veterans and their families.
With headquarters in New York, UNICEF acts as an independent agency of the United Nations, operating in 191 countries with a budget of more than $5 billion in donations and government grants with delivery of programmes designed to address health, security, education and poverty issues faced by children across the globe. In 2016, they were highly active addressing issues of access to safe water, malnutrition, vaccinations, education barriers for millions of children in Syria, Nigeria, Yemen, Iraq and South Sudan. Contributions can be made via their website or through popular fundraising campaigns such as the annual trick-or-treat orange UNICEF boxes.