UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie arrived in Yemen as part of a visit that aims to draw attention to the implications of the dire humanitarian situation in the country, the United Nations refugee agency said on Sunday.
According to the UNHCR, Jolie will visit Yemeni families, including internally displaced ones to learn from them how the conflict, which is now in its seventh year, has ripped their lives apart.
The Hollywood actress’s visit to Yemen comes ahead of the annual High-Level Pledging Conference for Yemen, which will be held on March 16.
The agency voiced hope that her visit “will highlight the increasing humanitarian needs in Yemen and help mobilize urgent support for humanitarian work” ahead of the conference.
“I’ve landed in Aden, to meet displaced families and refugees for UNHCR and show my support for the people of Yemen. I will do my best to communicate from the ground as the days unfold,” Jolie wrote on Instagram.
“As we continue to watch the horrors unfolding in Ukraine, and call for an immediate end to the conflict and humanitarian access, I’m here in Yemen to support people who also desperately need peace,” she added.
Jolie also described the situation in Yemen as one of “the worst humanitarian crises in the world,” noting that one civilian is either killed or injured every hour in 2022.
Known for her philanthropic activities, she added in a post on Instagram that the “shocking situation” in Ukraine where more than 1.5 million people have fled the war must be a lesson which teaches everyone that people “cannot be selective about who deserves support.”
She reaffirmed that the lives of civilian victims are all of equal value.
“After seven years of war, the people of Yemen also need protection, support, and above all, peace,” Jolie added.
Source: Alarabiya