Angelina Jolie visits Pakistan to meet flood victims

[Turborama]

Source: Telegraph (UK)

Angelina Jolie has arrived in Pakistan to help with fundraising efforts as United Nations officials warned that a slow response to a global appeal for aid was putting lives at risk. The Hollywood star travelled to the north-west of the country to meet Afghan refugees whose camp close to the town of Nowshera was completely destroyed in three hours of flooding.

She said she was shocked by the level of destruction.

"From what I understand, the situation is on a scale we have not really seen. It's on a huge scale," she said during Tuesday's visit. "It's not just the floods – it's three decades that the Pakistani people have hosted Afghan refugees. Their needs need to be addressed. There are people displaced by the floods, all their homes washed away. Many of them lost their children during the floods."

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The 35-year-old actress, making her fourth trip to Pakistan since becoming a goodwill ambassador for the UN in 2001, visited several camps where she made a point of speaking to women and children.

=snip=

Her visit was timed to shine a spotlight on the needs of Pakistan at a time when global attention was waning. Some 21 million people have now been affected by more than five weeks of flooding.

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/7986734/Angelina-Jolie-visits-Pakistan-to-meet-flood-victims.html

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Telegraph video: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newsvideo/7986901/Angelina-Jolie-visits-flood-ravaged-Pakistan.html

Telegraph slideshow: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/worldnews/7975364/Pakistan-floods-children-at-risk-from-deadly-water-borne-diseases-such-as-cholera-and-malaria.html

Angelina Jolie meets flood victims in Pakistan

By INAMUR REHMAN, Associated Press Writer – Tue Sep 7, 8:49 am ET

JALOZAI, Pakistan – American movie star Angelina Jolie met flood victims in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday and appealed to the international community to provide aid needed to help the country recover from its worst natural disaster.

The flow of aid money has stalled in recent days, and officials expressed hope the two-day visit by Jolie — who serves as a "goodwill ambassador" for the U.N.'s refugee agency — will convince foreign countries and individuals to open their wallets.

The 35-year-old actress said she met with many people whose lives have been devastated by the floods, including mothers who lost their children and an elderly Pakistani couple who feared they would never be able to rebuild the home they lost.

"I am very moved by them and I hope that I am able to, today and tomorrow, be able to do something to help bring attention to the situation for all of the people in need in Pakistan," Jolie told reporters after visiting a refugee camp in the Jalozai area.

More: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100907/ap_en_mo/as_pakistan_floods

Raw Video, Angelina Jolie visits Pakistan AP: http://news.yahoo.com/video/world-15749633/21777572

Video - Jolie's plea for Pakistan flood victims AP: http://news.yahoo.com/video/world-15749633/21779732

Video - UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie Appeals For Greater Public Support For Pakistan: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x500491


Amira, 2, a flood victim suffering from skin and stomach problems, cries at a hospital in Sukkur.
Pakistani health officials said they fear that hundreds of thousands of babies will be born in
the country's flood-affected areas over the next six months, and are at severe risk of
malnourishment because of the scarce food supply

Please check my Journal for comprehensive coverage and lots of photos/videos of the floods in Pakistan going back to when they began: http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Turborama

[Egnever]

1. Well at least she wont be taking food away from any of the people that need it

I dont think she has eaten in months.

[DURHAM D]

2. good grief - is that really all you have to say

[LanternWaste]

4. I imagine that she's...

I imagine that in the here and now, she's doing quite a bit more for the poor, sick, homeless, and hungry than many of her critics would dare dream of doing themsevles.

[roguevalley]

13. sad remark. she does more good accidentally than many on purpose.

[kpete]

3. I honor her

and anyone who thinks beyond themselves, kp

[wordpix]

6. me, too

[OhioChick]

5. Good for her....

She seems to be one of the few actually doing something.
:thumbsup:

[Turborama]

7. Video of her press conference added to the videos forum

Here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x502769

[CrawlingChaos]

8. Am I the only one who has misgivings about her "good works"?

I do not get a sincere vibe from this woman. I think what she does is a kind of celebrity disaster tourism -- breezes in, gets herself on camera, bathed in a saintly glow, and she's on to the next photo op. And I don't automatically level this charge at every philanthropic celebrity. Compare Jolie, for example, to Sean Penn, who seems to have dug in his heels for a long haul of extremely unglamorous work in Haiti. I think you can usually tell the difference between sincere concern and a self-serving PR opportunity.

From what I know about her, she has disturbing right-wing tendencies. For one thing, she's an Ayn Rand admirer, and I don't think it's possible to be one of those and truly give a damn about the disadvantaged. She joined the CFR and wrote a pro-war propaganda piece for them. I'm not sure she's all that different from her utterly detestable father.

[roguevalley]

14. you need to read more. she gives millions up to 1/3 of her income

to endangered people, she funds lawyers for children caught in deportation limbos, many alone, because they don't get one otherwise. link your accusations to facts. I would love to see anything you have alleged proven. not because I'm angry, i'm curious

[CrawlingChaos]

16. I need to read more self-serving celebrity press releases?

Here's a link to a DU discussion of her Ayn Rand admiration:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x5658729

Here's a link to the article she wrote (or put her name to) about Iraq:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/27/AR2008022702217.html

(We can argue about about the content of that article, but IMO it's a clear attempt to use a lot of humanitarian-sounding talk to justify extending the war indefinitely. A steaming pantload of made-to-order Pentagon propaganda)

She publicly stated she was considering voting for John McCain in the last presidential election:

http://www.nationalledger.com/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi?archive=27&num=21792

[LostinVA]

20. Still waiting for links showing she is a Winger

[LostinVA]

15. She is not a RWer

How in the hell that meme ever got started is beyond me.

And, she does a hell of alot, through her foundation and personally. However, like people like Ashley Judd, you don't hear about alot of it.

[CrawlingChaos]

17. See links above (n/t)

[LostinVA]

19. I don't need to see links -- she isn't a RWer

There was ONE source claiming she was, but her actions, political contributions, and husband show she is NOT a RWer.Her Father's RW beliefs are one reason why she has nothing to do with him.

There is an organized attempt to discredit Jolie, and has been for a long time.

[CrawlingChaos]

21. I don't get what you're saying here

The source here is her own words. Did you look at the links I posted? In her own words, she IS an Ayn Rand devotee, and how can you reconcile that with anything other than RW ideologies? I don't think it's possible, unless she's a complete idiot.

In her own words, she was possibly going to vote for John McCain. She supported extending the war indefinitely - I posted the link to her own article. She spouts propaganda for that vile war, then poses for photo ops with it's victims. I find that offensive and I think she and others like her should be called out on it.

Why would there be an organized attempt to discredit her? Discredit her from what? She never challenges the system that creates all this suffering -- that would take real courage. She's no threat to the status quo.

If you can explain why you see it differently, please do.

When you mention "one source" claiming she's a right winger, do you mean that story from last year where she supposedly said she hated Obama because he was "all about handouts and welfare"? I don't know if that's true or not, but it would certainly fit with her own self-declared admiration for Ayn Rand.

[LostinVA]

22. Angelina Jolie is NOT a RWer

None of the links you showed prove she is, and she ISN'T.

I do not get why people try to discredit her.

And, I am not responding to you any more, because the thread is being hijacked.

[CrawlingChaos]

25. Saying it over and over doesn't make it true

You won't back up anything you say, and your argument boils down to "because I said so".

Not surprised that you've announced your anticipated non-response.

[riderinthestorm]

23. She and Brad Pitt have put their money where their mouth is for New Orleans and Katrina victims

they've also done a ton of work for people in Africa and other third world areas. She is more than your links.

In the end, she didn't vote for McCain.

She may be an Ayn Rand devotee but that may be because she's ignorant. She's a Hollywood movie star, born and bred in Hollywood. It's easy for the rich and elite to mouth Ayn Rand but that doesn't mean she has embraced Ayn Rand's philosophy - her and her SO's entire lives for the past 10 years refute that.

Personally, I welcome any attention to the plight in Pakistan. It's a disaster. Jolie has taken time from her work, her family and her home to shine some light on the situation and perhaps bring in more relief aid by being there. Godspeed.

[CrawlingChaos]

29. I agree with some of what you've said

I agree that some of her positions may be the product of ignorance and an insular, privileged life. Maybe. But I don't think that absolves her of responsibility for what she supports. It's hard to imagine she doesn't understand the implications of Ayn Rand's philosophy, especially given who her father is.

Of course I agree that if anyone is helped by what she does, that is a good thing -- but I certainly can't admire her. I'd feel the same way about any right-leaning celebrity (even if they are socially liberal, which I believe she is). It's nice that they write a check, but they are still part of the larger problem.

[riderinthestorm]

30. She actually goes and takes action for her causes,

much like your "hero" Sean Penn. As the UN celebrity rep, she hasn't shirked her responsibility to lend her "aura". She's actually done it for longer than Sean Penn may I add. She's taken her role fairly seriously as far as I can tell - building on past celebrities like Shirley Temple-Black and others.

Brad Pitt has also done more than simply write a check for New Orleans. If you are not aware of his work in rebuilding the city I encourage you to google it(and Jolie's support of that project - including moving their substantial entire family there). He's taken it even further with his work to build on, and elevate the architecture for the poorest populations in the city.

These are celebrity folks who have actually used their celebrity to HELP others to the degree they are able. Its almost impossible for them to travel "incognito" to do good works. So they leverage what they can to maximize results. Or perhaps you'd rather they were just insipid superstars like 99% of the others in Hollywood? At least Jolie and Pitt donate millions of dollars, AS WELL as pouring in vast quantities of their time and energy.

While I may not admire her (or Pitt), I at least recognize they are more than the sum of 2 - 3 bad quotes.

[CrawlingChaos]

31. hold the phone

I never said Sean Penn was my "hero". I was trying to think of an example of someone famous who works hard for a cause even when cameras aren't rolling (or snapping) and he came to mind first, although I'm sure there are better examples. I assume we just don't hear about them so much because they don't alert the media to announce their every move. I've seen a truly absurd number of fawning news items about Jolie in corporate media -- you can't tell me that's not a press agent working overtime. That, along with her odious political views, makes me suspicious of her motives, although I can see no one here agrees with me.

The fact that most celebrities are "insipid" is irrelevant and does not change my opinion of her. Also, I did not merely give you 2 or 3 bad quotes -- I cited evidence of firmly entrenched positions on her part.

Shirley Temple Black was a big right-winger too, if I'm not mistaken, and that colors my opinion of her as well.

[Turborama]

24. Yes, it appears you are.

BTW this thread is meant to be about a humanitarian crisis in Pakistan, not Angelina Jolie's political beliefs.

[CrawlingChaos]

26. Yes, it appears I am, and it's disappointing

I guess I shouldn't be surprised, in our culture of celebrity worship.

What people stand for is important. Or rather, it should be. If it were, we'd have a lot fewer of these humanitarian crises in the first place.

And I beg to differ -- this thread is about Angelina Jolie's visit to Pakistan. Hence the title " Angelina Jolie visits Pakistan to meet flood victims". That is distinctly different than simply being about the humanitarian crisis.

[Turborama]

27. Again, this thread is meant to be about a humanitarian crisis in Pakistan,

not Angelina Jolie's political beliefs.

The thread title is irrelevant and, as per LBN rules, has to be posted exactly as it was written. It's the content of the the OP that matters, which is all about the humanitarian crisis.

[Mimosa]

28. I sense you are mistaken.

Please don't judge. Audrey hepburn also worked with the UN in a similar way.

[JNelson6563]

9. Kudos to her.

I hope her efforts are helpful to these poor souls.

Julie

[necso]

10. "Moving on" from this catastrophe risks a much greater one. /nt

[OhioChick]

11. Behind the photograph: the human face of Pakistan's deadly flood

Mother of the child in image that went around the world tells of her family's struggle



It was an image that conveyed the human cost of the Pakistani floods – and the failure to deliver aid to those affected – more powerfully than any statistic: four young children lying on a filthy patchwork quilt, one of them sucking on an empty yellow bottle, all of them covered by flies.

The photograph by Associated Press's Mohammad Sajjad went around the world and featured in the Guardian's Eyewitness slot last week. The Guardian identified the child with the bottle as two-year-old Reza Khan and tracked him down to a makeshift camp at a roadside in Azakhel, some 19 miles from Peshawar, the capital of the insurgency-plagued province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, bordering Afghanistan.

The camp is a hotchpotch of about two dozen tents donated by various aid organisations, but it is run by none. Its residents must fend for themselves, and rely on the charity of passersby. There are 19 families here, all of them Afghan refugees: people who were displaced once by conflict in their homeland have now been displaced again by the month-long deluge.

Reza's family is from Butkhak, near the Afghan capital, Kabul. His father fled the area as a young boy, some 30 years ago, to escape the cycle of foreign occupation and internecine battles plaguing his homeland.


More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/05/pakistan-floods-photograph-children

[sabrina 1]

12. Omg, those poor children. No human being should have to live

like that. Can't they at least get some mosquito nets or something to them? Another CNN reporter said after her visit there that 'the one thing that is constant is the flies'.

I wish I could do something. Maybe call some manufacturers of netting to keep away the flies and send them to some of the aid groups there?

You feel so helpless. :cry:

[OhioChick]

18. I know what you mean, Sabrina...

These photos of children covered in flies are just so inhumane. It truly breaks my heart. :(

I had thought of mosquito nets just as you have. Where to turn though? :shrug:

[sabrina 1]

32. I don't know! I will look up some manufacturers and see what the

cost would be. I wonder if the aid groups already have them, but cannot reach everyone. If I find out, I will post it. Even that would be something ...