Jolie-Pitt Donates $340K to Aid Somalia Amid Widespread Famine

By Corey Davis, Christian Post Contributor Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Hollywood super couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie is adopting another cause to their growing list of philanthropy. Somalia announced Monday that the Jolie-Pitt Foundation donated $340,000 to help impoverished people in the country.

The Humanitarian Initiative Just Relief Aid announced that the couple’s donation would be used to help expand its health services to the displaced mothers and children in Somalia's war-ravaged capital. In addition, part of the $340,000 will be used to aid homeless children fighting for hunger.

The donation comes at a critical time as the country is in severe drought. Somalia is also suffering its worst famine in 60 years. The United Nations estimates that 750,000 people are at risk of starving to death in the country in the next few months.

In addition, the United States estimates that the drought and famine combined have killed 29,000 young children thus far.

At the U.N. Refugee Awards earlier this year, Angelina Jolie expressed how much she admires the refugees in poverty stricken countries.

Jolie stated, “From them I’ve learned so much. I’ve learned to be a better person, a better mother. They’ve inspired me by showing me the unbreakable strength of the human spirit.”

In the announcement Monday, Mohamed Dahir of the Humanitarian Initiative Just Relief Aid told the AP, “The donation from the Jolie-Pitt Foundation will allow the group to expand its lifesaving health services that serve 300 women and children each day in Mogadishu's Badbaado camp for the displaced people.”