In anticipation of an upcoming fundraising conference, Angelina Jolie visited the war-torn nation of Yemen this weekend to show solidarity with displaced families.
The 46-year-old special envoy for UNHCR landed in the southern coastal city of Aden to meet with refugees and families. The internationally recognized government is based in Aden.
The Academy Award winner, 46, took to her Instagram handle and updated her 12.4 million followers about her visit as she is working with the UNHCR to provide aid.
“I’ve landed in Aden, to meet displaced families and refugees for UNHCR @refugees and show my support for the people of Yemen,” Jolie wrote in the caption. “I will do my best to communicate from the ground as the days unfold.”
“As we continue to watch the horrors unfolding in Ukraine, and call for an immediate end to the conflict and humanitarian access, I’m here in Yemen to support people who also desperately need peace. The situation here is one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with one civilian killed or injured every hour in 2022. An economy devastated by war, and over 20 million Yemenis depending on humanitarian assistance to survive,” she added.
Jolie, who has long been an advocate for the people of Yemen, likened the country’s ongoing humanitarian crisis to the current devastation in Ukraine, urging compassion for those impacted by both conflicts.
“This week a million people were forced to flee the horrific war in Ukraine. If we learn anything from this shocking situation, it is that we cannot be selective about who deserves support and whose rights we defend. Everyone deserves the same compassion,” she penned.
“The lives of civilian victims of conflict everywhere are of equal value. After seven years of war, the people of Yemen also need protection, support, and above all, peace.”