Angelina Jolie in Baghdad
Briefing Notes, 24 July 2009
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 24 July 2009, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
Angelina Jolie in Iraq
During a day-long visit to Baghdad, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie visited a makeshift settlement for internally displaced people in the Chikook suburb of north-west Baghdad where she met with four families displaced from the district of Abu Ghraib and from the western suburbs of the Iraqi capital.Photos and other information on UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie's visit to Baghdad yesterday are now available on our new website: www.unhcr.org. Video will be available later this morning. We also sent you a press release last evening.
Ms. Jolie traveled to Iraq to draw attention to the plight of internally displaced people in the country as well as Iraqi refugees across the region. She visited four families that had been displaced from the district of Abu Ghraib and the western suburbs of the capital. She heard stories of hardship from families who could not get basic health services from the government and called for international support for the local administration.
Overall, she said, the picture on the ground was mixed and noted there are some changes, including some returns of displaced people – not a big number, but there is progress. Ms. Jolie was on her third visit to Iraq. She also stopped in Jordan on the way out of the country and thanked both Jordan and Syria, now playing host to hundreds of thousands of refugees from Iraq, for their generosity in providing assistance to Iraqi refugees.
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Angelina Jolie returns to Iraq, urges support for the displaced
UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie returned to Iraq in July 2009 to offer support to the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis who remain displaced within their own country.
During her day-long visit to Baghdad, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie visited a makeshift settlement for internally displaced people in north-west Baghdad where she met families displaced from the district of Abu Ghraib, located to the west of Baghdad, and from the western suburbs of the capital.
Despite the difficulties in Iraq, Jolie said this was a moment of opportunity for Iraqis to rebuild their lives. "This is a moment where things seem to be improving on the ground, but Iraqis need a lot of support and help to rebuild their lives."
UNHCR estimates that 1.6 million Iraqis were internally displaced by a wave of sectarian warfare that erupted in February 2006 after the bombing of a mosque in the ancient city of Samarra. Almost 300,000 people have returned to their homes amid a general improvement in the security situation since mid-2008.
Angelina Jolie returns to Iraq, urges support for the displaced
Angelina Jolie meets boat people in Malta, Lampedusa
Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie joined UNHCR chief António Guterres on the Italian island of Lampedusa, where they met with boat people who have fled unrest in North Africa.
More than 40,000 people, including refugees and asylum-seekers, have crossed the Mediterranean on overcrowded boats and descended on the small island since the beginning of the year.
The UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador flew to Lampedusa from Malta, which has also been a destination for people fleeing North Africa by boat.
Angelina Jolie meets boat people in Malta, Lampedusa
Angelina Jolie in Bosnia
UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie met with forcibly displaced people on April 5, 2010 during her first visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The actress, accompanied by her partner Brad Pitt, called for steps to end the continued suffering of these victims of the Bosnian War after hearing their harrowing tales and seeing their grim living conditions.
Jolie was clearly moved by the spirit - and the ordeal - of the people she met and she pledged to highlight their case. Most of the people she talked to have been living in exile since the end of the 1992-1995 conflict. Jolie visited collective centres in the towns of Gorazde and Rogatica, where the inhabitants lack basic services such as running water.
The actress spent some time with a group of women who were raped or tortured during the war. Their tales left a deep impression on her. She also met a family of refugee returnees who were still waiting to move into their village home near the eastern Bosnian town of Visegrad.
Angelina Jolie in Bosnia
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UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie, in a speech to UNHCR's governing Executive Committee, appeals for a stepped-up response to the crisis in the Horn of Africa.
UNHCR pays tribute to Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie
In recognition for her extraordinary commitment and dedication to refugees for over a decade UNHCR pays tribute to Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie.
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Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie and UNHCR chief António Guterres see conditions for migrants, including refugees, on Italy's Lampedusa Island.
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