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Angelina Jolie's Iraq plea
Feb 29, 2008, 11:35 GMT
Angelina Jolie meeting Steffan de Mistura, the UN envoy for Iraq, during her visit to Baghdad, Iraq on 07 February 2008, as an ambassador for the UN High Commission for Refugees. While in Baghdad, Jolie met with US General David Patraeus, and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Jolie\'s visit was intended to help increase assistance efforts with displaced Iraqis. EPA/JAMES DEADY/US ARMY
Angelina Jolie has begged US authorities to "step up" their efforts to help Iraqi war refugees.
The 32-year-old actress - who is the Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) - believes America must address the growing humanitarian crisis following the US invasion of the Middle Eastern country in 2003.
In a piece Angelina penned for The Washington Post newspaper titled 'A Reason to Stay in Iraq', she wrote: "What we cannot afford, in my view, is to squander the progress that has been made. In fact, we should step up our financial and material assistance."
The UNHCR has asked the US government for $261 million this year to tackle the problem. Angelina claims the sum is "less than the US spends each day to fight the war in Iraq."
The star - who visited Baghdad earlier this month - is deeply concerned there is no coherent plan to cope with two million refugees within the country, 58 per cent of which are under 12, and the two million that have already fled Iraq.
She said: "It will be quite a while before Iraq is ready to absorb more than four million refugees and displaced people. But it is not too early to start working on solutions."
(C) BANG Media International
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