Hussain carries his younger brother in his village near the Somalia border. Communities in southeastern Ethiopia are beginning to feel the effects of the failed rainy reasons and have become increasingly food insecure over the last four months. While international focus remains on refugees coming from Somalia, the needs in Ethiopia are rapidly increasing.

Every hour of every day, 300 children die because of malnutrition. The good news? This crisis is solvable.

EDUCATION IS THE MOST POWERFUL WEAPON WHICH YOU CAN USE TO CHANGE THE WORLD.

In late 2011, the world’s population reached 7 billion. Every newborn child has the right to a standard of living adequate for her or his physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development. Ensuring that the youngest among us achieve that right is the surest path to a truly sustainable world. 

A school wall is decorated with children’s handprints in the town of Bazzama.

Audrey Hepburn feeds a high-protein food to a malnourished a child in Baidoa. “For many it’s too late, but for many, many more we can still be on time,” said Ms. Hepburn, after witnessing the impact of famine on Somalia’s children in 1992.

Are they a good enough reason to create a better world?

Children’s rights are not just words in an international treaty. They are the substance of what children’s lives should consist of: a loving family, access to education and health care, opportunities to express themselves, and protection from abuse and discrimination. The realization, or denial, of children’s rights is woven into the fabric of their daily lives.