actress Angelina Jolie calls for more international aid for flood victims in Pakistan

Hollywood star Angelina Jolie said the devastating floods in Pakistan should serve as a wake-up call to the world about the consequences of global warming and called for more help after visiting victims.

“I have never seen anything like it“, said Wednesday Angelina Jolie, emissary of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The American actress had already visited Pakistan after two previous natural disasters: the deadly earthquake in 2005 and the great 2010 floods.

Caused by torrential monsoon rains, the intensity of which has been increased by global warming according to experts, the latest floods have covered a third of Pakistan and caused the death of nearly 1,600 people since June 2022, according to the latest official report.

More than seven million people have been displaced, many since living in makeshift camps with no protection from mosquitoes and a lack of clean water and sanitation. “I am resolutely at your side when it comes to pushing the international community to do more (…) This is a real alarm signal for the world on where we are” on global warming, added Angelina Jolie during a meeting with civilian and military officials in Islamabad.

“Climate change is not only real, not only about to happen, it is already completely here“, she added. The actress visited the province of Sind (south), one of the most affected, where she exchanged with people displaced by the floods and living in camps.

The UN has warned that Pakistan is now under threat of a “second disaster” caused by diseases such as dengue fever, malaria, cholera, diarrhea, or malnutrition. “I’ve spoken with people, telling myself that if there isn’t enough help coming, they won’t be there in a few weeks, they won’t survive. There are so many children, so malnourished“, concluded Angelina Jolie.

We continue to coordinate logistics to transport over 1.2 million relief items to local authorities in the most flood-affected areas in Pakistan. https://t.co/hFhXMAEt3F

— UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency (@Refugees) September 22, 2022