American Children Collect Aid Money for Afghan Children

President Bush Announces Children's Fund Drive Oct. 11

President Bush concluded his October 11 national press conference with
an appeal to American children to raise money for stricken Afghan
children.

Highlighting how years of war and drought have left Afghan children
orphaned and undernourished, President Bush said, "We are asking every
child in America to earn or give a dollar that will be used to provide
food and medical help for the children of Afghanistan."

To promote this effort, the White House has offered to receive the
donations, large and small, in a fund called "America's Fund for
Afghan Children." The White House will not, however, administer this
voluntary relief program. It will send the contributions to the
American Red Cross, which will administer food and medical relief,
according to its established guidelines.

"America's Fund for Afghan Children" recalls the extraordinary effort
of American children in 1938 to raise money for polio treatment and
research. In 1940, American children raised funds to provide food and
other needs for children in war-torn Europe.

"By embracing Afghan children, we assert the American ideal. Our
nation is the greatest force for good in the world's history. We value
the lives and rights of all people. Our compassion and concern do not
stop at our border. They reach across the world. Americans are
determined to fight for our security, no question about it. And we're
all equally determined to live up to our principles," President Bush
said October 12, in addressing the March of Dimes Leadership
Conference in Washington, D.C.

America's Fund for Afghan Children builds on the recent announcement
by President Bush of $320 million in additional aid to help meet the
food and relief needs of Afghans this winter.

The White House released the following information on "America's Fund
for Afghan Children" on October 12.

America's Fund for Afghan Children The Program

After years of war, drought and rule by the repressive Taliban regime,
Afghanistan faces a major humanitarian crisis. In particular, the most
vulnerable Afghans -- the more than 10 million children -- are
suffering.

Americans are concerned about the welfare of Afghan children and wish
to reinforce the fact that America's actions are focused on destroying
a terror network and are not directed against the innocent people and
children of Afghanistan.

In response to the outpouring of humanitarian concern by Americans,
the President has announced the creation of "America's Fund for Afghan
Children," which will encourage children and their families to
contribute to relief efforts for Afghan children. In particular, it is
hoped that the children of America will be inspired to make
contributions of one dollar -- or whatever they can give -- which can
be sent individually or collectively to the Fund.

The new Fund builds on the recent announcement by President Bush of
$320 million in additional aid to help meet the food and relief needs
of Afghans this winter.

The Plight of the Afghan Children

More than 10 million children in Afghanistan have suffered under years
of civil war and drought and now suffer under the repressive Taliban
regime:

Afghanistan ranks number one worldwide in maternal mortality. One in
four Afghan children will not make it to their fifth birthday. One in
three Afghan children is an orphan. Almost 1/2 of Afghan children
suffer chronic malnutrition. Millions face the threat of starvation.

Building on a History of Success

The President's new initiative to assist Afghan children is modeled on
the original 1938 March of Dimes campaign from the Roosevelt
Administration. In that successful campaign, President Franklin
Roosevelt appealed to American children to each donate a dime to help
eradicate polio. The effort succeeded not only in raising funds for
the effort that defeated polio, but also in generating significant
interest among American youth at helping others in need. The original
campaign was a grassroots effort, supported by the leadership of the
President of the United States.

How the Program Will Work

Just like President Roosevelt's program, children will send their
contributions to the White House. Contributions will be sent to:

America's Fund for Afghan Children c/o The White House 1600
Pennsylvania Ave., NW. Washington, DC, 20509-1600.

The White House has created a special zip code to help identify and
expedite donations to the Fund. The White House will send the
contributions to the American Red Cross (ARC), which will administer
the program. To ensure maximum coordination with the humanitarian
relief effort, the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID) will consult with the American Red Cross on
disbursements from the Fund.

The American Red Cross will use its existing fundraising and
administrative structure to process the contributions and manage the
fund, assume accountability for its appropriate use (in consultation
with USAID), post the results of the effort on its official web site
and provide ongoing updates to the White House.

The American Red Cross will aid Afghan children through direct
programs in the region, as well as through the International Committee
of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the appropriate Red Cross and Red Crescent
national societies. The American Red Cross will also provide grants to
other organizations engaged in charitable works for Afghan children.
Through these programs, needed food, shelter and medicines will be
provided to the children of Afghanistan.

The Fund will help not only Afghan children living in Afghanistan but
also those who are now refugees in neighboring countries. The ARC will
use its existing fundraising and administrative structure to receive
donations and will manage the Fund in an account segregated from their
other operating accounts. The ARC will absorb all overhead costs so
that every dollar contributed by the American people to the Fund will
directly benefit Afghan children.