Angelina Jolie Meets Suffering Families on Syria Refugee Visit
U.N. Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie has met with Syrian refugees in Turkey Friday, hearing horrific stories of violence from eye witnesses who fled the brutal government crackdown taking place in the country.
Just under 10,000 refugees who have fled the Syrian regime, many escaping the military offensive in the Jisr al-Shugur area, are currently living in temporary shelters across four camps in Turkey.
Jolie visited the Altinozu camp about 12 miles from the Syrian border. According to the U.N. refugee agency, Jolie said, “The people in this camp have fled in fear for their lives, and many told me they were distraught about the safety of loved ones still in Syria.”
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The UNHCR has reported how Jolie met with one woman whose husband had been killed in the violence. The woman had fled the violence and came to the camp heavily pregnant. She recently gave birth at the refugee camp.
The U.N. reported that the refugees at Altinozu held a demonstration at the camp to voice themselves in unison with anti-government demonstrations taking place in Syria and other major cities near Syria.
Jolie reported, “I appreciate the opportunity to visit this camp and talk to these families. It is a really complex situation and everyone needs to be doing all they can for the innocent families caught in the crossfire. I will be following this situation very closely and doing everything I can.”
The U.N. human rights office has called for an investigation into the allegations of abuses by Syrian authorities.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also condemned the Syrian government for its lack of care for its people. Erdogan, on Tuesday, drew the attention of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to the worsening refugee situation and told him to "refrain from violence and end the unrest."
Jolie was appointed as a goodwill ambassador for the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in 2001, and over the past decade has visited more than 20 countries.
Jolie has explained that her interest and compassion for humanitarian affairs was sparked when she visited Cambodia to film movie “Tomb Raider”.
During her visit to Turkey, Jolie also complimented the Turkish government and the Turkish Red Crescent for their work to help the refugees.
Jolie said, “The Red Crescent has set up camps really quickly and provided medical and other care. And UNHCR stands ready to assist if the situation starts to escalate.”
