Loading ...Nothing New for Humanitarian Angelina Jolie, Now the Actress Focuses on Helping Yemen Refugees
By: John Mason / Arab America Contributing Writer
Angelina Jolie is focusing her attention on the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, one of many war-torn countries where she has helped families who have been displaced and are in need of food, water, and medicine. She emphasized that each crisis deserves equal treatment by humanitarian agencies, citing the equal needs of such countries as Ukraine and Yemen. Jolie has been a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations for over two decades, during which time she has gained worldwide praise for her commitment.
Angelina Jolie visits Yemen to assist in one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world
The world-famous actress, Angelina Jolie is lending her support to refugees in war-wrecked Yemen. Yemen’s refugees are namely families displaced by the ongoing civil war. Representing the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as a special envoy, Jolie landed in Yemen’s internationally recognized capital of Aden. Her visit, according to an Associated Press (AP) report, is intended to “draw attention to growing humanitarian needs in Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest country.”
Yemen is another one of the world’s situations in which the country has become a pawn in other people’s wars. Shaken by civil war since 2014, Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who took control of the capital Sanaa, have been supported by Iran, while the other faction is supported by Saudi Arabia and indirectly by the U.S. The Houthi action against Sanaa forced Yemenis from the north to flee to the south. Attempts to restore Yemen’s government to authority have resulted in over 150,000 people killed, of which about 15,000 have been civilians.
Jolie’s visit specifically is aimed at “a show of solidarity for displaced families struggling amid the country’s ongoing civil war” and to help raise money to support Yemeni refugees. While in Yemen on Sunday, she wrote on Instagram in reference to Ukraine, “This week a million people were forced to flee the horrific war in Ukraine. If we learn anything from this shocking situation, it is that we cannot be selective about who deserves support and whose rights we defend.”
Jolie also said “Everyone deserves the same compassion. The lives of civilian victims of conflict everywhere are of equal value. After seven years of war, the people of Yemen also need protection, support and, above all, peace.” She referred to Yemen’s situation as “one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.”
Longtime Humanitarian Angelina Jolie proudly represents UNCHR as Global Ambassador
The United Nations named Jolie, Goodwill Ambassador in 2001. In that capacity, she has visited more than 30 countries. According to UNHCR, one of Jolie’s goals is “to highlight the plight of millions of uprooted people and to advocate for their protection. She has managed to do all this while pursuing a busy acting career and bringing up her children.”
Jolie was attracted to humanitarian matters early on in her career, an interest that initially grew out of a visit she had made to Cambodia in 2000 to make a film. There, she witnessed the conditions of Cambodians displaced by war, which then became an abiding interest that has continued for over 20 years.
Another visit Jolie made as Goodwill Ambassador was to Afghanistan, in 2008, one that made a deep impression on her. There, she witnessed the possibility of hundreds of thousands of returning refugees reintegrating back into their communities. Following that visit, the Oscar-winning American actress appealed for more international assistance, noting, “The courage, resilience and quiet dignity of returnee families rebuilding their lives against the kind of adversity few of us can imagine showing the human spirit at its best.”
Jolie is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards for her work with refugees. Just a few of these awards are the Citizen of the World Award by the United Nations Correspondents Association, the Global Humanitarian Award by the United Nations Association of the USA, and the Business Council for the United Nations. She was even awarded Cambodian citizenship, rendered for her extensive work there, following a ravaging civil war and brutal rule.
Linking Aid to Yemen Refugees to the Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine
Jolie used her visit to Yemen to also underscore the importance of the Ukrainian crisis, though she did not want the latter crisis to overshadow the over 20 million Yemeni refugees who depend for their survival on humanitarian assistance. She noted that in Yemen today, one civilian is killed or injured every hour.
According to a Yahoo news report, Jolie encouraged her followers “to pay attention to both conflicts and lend some compassion to victims affected by the ordeal.” Furthermore, she averred, “The lives of civilians everywhere are of equal value. After seven years of war, the people of Yemen also need protection, support, and above all, peace.”
A human-interest story of significance to Jolie’s humanitarian efforts was an appeal by two U.K. boys, Ayaan Moosa and Mikaeel Ishaaq. Reported in Harper’s, they had set up a fundraiser called “Lemonade for Yemen-Aid,” a small stand to sell glasses of lemonade to passersby, which Jolie had found out about. She wrote to the boys, who had never heard of her, and donated to their fundraiser, the Yemen Crisis Appeal. The boys were surprised by Jolie’s interest, at which time, “The lemonade stand went viral after the BBC reported on the charity endeavor.”
The Hollywood star’s note to the boys read, “Dear Ayaan and Mikaeel. Thank you for what you and your friends are doing to help children in Yemen. I’m sorry I’m not able to buy a lemonade from you, but I’d still like to make a donation to your stand. Love, [signed by Angelina].” She is a true superstar and hero to humanitarians and others around the world.
References:
“’Everyone deserves the same compassion’: Angelina Jolie visits Yemen amid attack on Ukraine,” Associated Press, 3/6/2022
“Angelina Jolie as Humanitarian,” UNCHR, 2/11/2009
“Angelina Jolie Arrives in Yemen to Aid Refugees as She Likens Crisis to War in Ukraine,” Yahoo News 3/6/2022
“Angelina Jolie Donates to Yemen Crisis Appeal Organized by Two Young Boys in the U.K.,” Harper’s Bazaar, 9/7/2020
John Mason, PhD., who focuses on Arab culture, society, and history, is the author of LEFT-HANDED IN AN ISLAMIC WORLD: An Anthropologist’s Journey into the Middle East, New Academia Publishing, 2017. He has taught at the University of Libya, Benghazi, Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York, and the American University in Cairo; John served with the United Nations in Tripoli, Libya, and consulted extensively on socioeconomic and political development for USAID and the World Bank in 65 countries.
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