London - England captain David Beckham will make a worldwide television appeal on behalf of tsunami victims after being appointed as a United Nations goodwill ambassador on Wednesday.
UN officials said Beckham's 30-second public service announcement would be a valuable fundraising tool as the organisation seeks to raise $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 the UN. "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.
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"People have been so generous to date and it is important that they continue to donate money to organisations such as Unicef to help in aid relief and reconstruction."
Beckham's messages were filmed in Copenhagen this week as the Real Madrid star visited Unicef's supply division.
The recordings will be sent around the world to Unicef centres, which will negotiate individually with their national broadcasters about when the appeal will be aired.
Unicef executive director Carol Bellamy said: "We are absolutely delighted that David Beckham has come on board as a Unicef goodwill ambassador.
"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." - Sapa-AP
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