JOLIE DONATES £1M TO REFUGEES
Copyright 2001 www.tombraiderchronicles.com

[ September 27th 2001 ]

Lara Croft Tomb Raider star Angelina Jolie has donated $1 million to help the refugees fleeing Afghanistan. The cash, equal to about £700,000, will go to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees' appeal. The UN is hoping to raise £185 million to fund humanitarian efforts in and around Afghanistan, Ananova reports today.

UN High Commissioner Ruud Lubbers said: "This significant contribution from a concerned young American reinforces my belief that, despite the trauma of recent events in her country, a strong sense of humanitarian responsibility toward innocent civilian suffering in far-off places continues to animate the spirit of caring individuals everywhere."

Angelina Jolie was formally appointed a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador on August 27th in a brief ceremony at the agency’s Geneva headquarters presided over by UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers. Since March, she has made arduous field visits to refugee camps in Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Cambodia and Pakistan.

As a Goodwill Ambassador, Ms. Jolie will help educate the public not only about the plight of refugees, but also about the perseverance and courage they show in overcoming all odds to rebuild their lives. In the process, millions of refugees have made enormous contributions to their own societies and to their host countries.