International humanitarian and Hollywood actor Angelina Jolie has arrived in Pakistan to support communities affected by heavy rains and floods that have impacted more than 33 million people and submerged nearly one-third of the country.
"Acclaimed international actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolie has arrived in Pakistan to visit victims of the catastrophic floods," stated a tweet posted by state-owned PTV News on Tuesday.
An earlier statement by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a US-based non-profit organisation, had said Jolie is expected to visit flood-affected regions and meet families directly in an effort to gain a deeper understanding of their needs and understand next steps in order to help them rehabilitate and re-build, added the press release.
Jolie had previously visited victims of the 2010 floods in Pakistan, and prior to that the 2005 earthquake. While here, Jolie will visit the IRC’s emergency response operations and local organisations assisting displaced people including Afghan refugees, stated IRC.
She is also expected to highlight the need for urgent support for the Pakistani people and long-term solutions to address the multiplying crises of climate change, human displacement and protracted insecurity being witnessed globally.
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The IRC said it hopes the visit will shed light on this issue and prompt the international community – particularly states contributing the most to carbon emissions – to act and provide urgent support to countries bearing the brunt of the climate crisis.
Shabnam Baloch, the Pakistan Country Director at the IRC, said that the climate crisis is destroying lives and futures in Pakistan, with severe consequences especially for women and children.
"The resulting economic loss from these floods will likely lead to food insecurity and an increase in violence against women and girls," Baloch was quoted as saying in the press release. "We need immediate support to reach people in urgent need, and long term investments to stop climate change from destroying our collective futures. With more rains expected in the coming months, we hope Angelina Jolie’s visit will help the world wake up and take action.”