Thursday, April 7, 2011

Angelina Jolie 'calls for more Libya aid'

Angelina Jolie has called for increased aid for those affected by the current political conflict in Libya.

The actress - who serves as goodwill ambassador for the United Nations' UNHCR refugee agency - made a public plea this week after those who escaped the country's violence relayed stories of "heavy fighting, harassment and assaults", reports Reuters.

A spokesperson for the organisation also revealed that the Jolie-Pitt Foundation purchased an ambulance to be used to provide medical assistance to those fleeing Libya through the Tunisian border. The charity also bought 177 plane tickets for refugees leaving the country.

"The international community has done well to reinforce Tunisia's remarkable relief effort," Jolie said in a statement for the UNHCR. "But with 2,000 people still crossing each day, we cannot let the funding dry up and need to sustain the momentum.

"They're waiting here with little hope, unable to return home and unsure of what's to come. This constant cycle of displacement must finally come to an end."

Jolie first spoke out in support of Libyan citizens last month while addressing crowds in Kabul, Afghanistan.

She has previously visited child refugees in Ecuador as part of her role as goodwill ambassador.