[VIDEO] Janet Jackson appears in UNICEF PSA

NEW YORK, June 3 (UPI) -- U.S. pop star Janet Jackson says she is helping UNICEF raise funds for humanitarian assistance in the Sahel region of West and Central Africa.

Jackson is appearing in online public service announcements intended to educate people about how 1.4 million children are at risk of severe malnutrition in the area.

"We are all facing a silent emergency. So many children are at risk of losing their lives in the Sahel region of Africa because they don't have food to eat," Jackson said in a statement Monday. "We must act now to save and protect children at risk from malnutrition -- not just in emergencies -- but for today and forever. I commit my heart, my love, and my resources to this effort. With your help and the leadership of UNICEF, we will bring change to West and Central Africa."