Nas, Ringo Starr + more join UNICEF to aid the children of Africa | Music News

NY rapper Nas has teamed up with The United Nations Children’s Fund aka UNICEF and the family of late Beatles member George Harrison to help children in need in the Horn of Africa.

With their mission to raise money for children suffering in the drought affected in this area, Nas and a variety of musicians such as Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Elvis Costello and Selena Gomez will participate in the “Month of Giving,” organized by George Harrison’s wife, Olivia Harris and will engage in conversation about the issue via social platforms Facebook, Twitter and live performances.

UNICEF is an organization whose aim is to benefit life saving programs for children in the African region where children are regularly forced into militias, or die of starvation and malnourishment.

40 years ago George Harrison and Ravi Shankar‘s “Concert for Bangladesh” was the first major music benefit for a humanitarian cause and now Africa will get the same treatment to help raise funds and awareness.

“It’s deeply heartening to see how the compassion of musicians is handed down from generation to generation,” said Olivia.

“In 1971 the crisis was in Bangladesh, today it’s the Horn of Africa. My thanks go out to all the musicians who have pledged their support.”

As of July 27th, the George Harrison fund for UNICEF released $1 million for the relief effort to benefit more than 2 million malnourished children and another half a million for those at risk of death, if medical assistance is continues to be ignored.