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Angelina Jolie made a trip to northern Iraq Sunday to meet with Kurdish refugees and gave an impassioned speech calling on the worldwide community to do more as "innocent people pay the price." This was her her fifth visit to the country since 2007 as special ambassador to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.
The star called on world leaders to do more to bring an end to the conflict in Syria and Iraq Photo: Getty Images
“Since I was last here in Iraq, another two million people have been forced from their homes,” said the actress and humanitarian at the displaced persons camp. “Mostly in the last six months – this time Iraqi citizens."
Angelina called on world leaders to do more to bring an end to conflict in Syria and Iraq. The 39-year-old spoke to the families who have beenmisplaced by conflict. Dressed casually in a black North Face jacket and blackjeans, she gave a speech to the hundreds of refugees gathered as well aspoliticians.
Angelina gave an impassioned speech about helping the refugees Photo: Getty Images
“Too many innocent people are paying the price of theconflict in Syria and spread of extremism,” she continued. “The internationalcommunity has to step up and do more.”
The Unbroken director added during her press conference atthe Khanke Camp for Internally Displaced People (IDPs): “It is not enough todefend our values at home. We have to defend them here, in the camps and in theinformal settlements across the Middle East, and in the ruined towns of Iraqand Syria. We are being tested here, as an international community and so far –for all the immense efforts and good intentions – we are failing.”
The mother of six spent time meeting with elderly women and other refugees Photo: Getty Images
Angelina, who spent her first day in Iraq visiting Yazidirefugees and touring their camp stated, “Nothing can prepare you for thehorrific stories of these survivors of kidnap, abuse and exploitation and tosee how they cannot all get the urgent help they need and deserve.” Whilethere, she met ISIS or ISIL victims and in particular a group of elderly women who wereamong nearly 200 Yazidis recently released by insurgents.
She noted, “I have met mothers whose children have beenkidnapped by ISIL. As a parent, I couldn’t imagine a greater horror. They areoverwhelmed by thoughts of what is happening to their children.”
Angelina said to the crowd gathered: "As a parent, I couldn't imagine a greater horror," about children who have been kidnapped by ISIL Photo: Getty Images
The mother of Maddox, 13, Pax, 11, Zahara, 10, Shiloh, 8, and6-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox has fought long and hard for refugees. Morethan a million of them are now living in the region as a result of the Syriancivil war and ISIS overtaking large swathes of Iraq.