Angelina Jolie visits with refugees in Kenya and asks for their protection
Angelina Jolie marked World Refugee Day with a trip to Nairobi, Kenya on Tuesday, June 20. The 42-year-old actress gave an impassioned speech urging for better treatment of refugees. “I am visiting Kenya to mark World Refugee Day. It is a day we at UNHCR ask everyone to stop and consider all the displaced people around the world," she said. "65 million people, the absolute majority living in low or middle income countries, dealing with conflict or crisis or economic challenges of their own.”
VER GALERÍA Angelina gave a speech for World Refugee Day in Kenya Photo: Getty Images
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Special Envoy also called for those in charge to combat the sexual abuse many face. “The horror of sexual violence is compounded when it is carried out by someone in uniform who has taken an oath to protect," the mother-of-six stated. "So it is a responsibility of those who wear uniform to take the lead now while correcting from within, setting an example and stepping forward with your commitments.”
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During her third visit to Kenya, Angelina, who has been part of the organization since 2001, met with 200 refugee girls who have been separated from their families and are now residing in the Heshima Kenya Safe House, after fleeing extreme violence or persecution in the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Somalia, Burundi and Rwanda.
VER GALERÍA The mother-of-six met with 200 refugee girls during her trip Photo: Getty Images
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Many of the girls had the chance to tell the By the Sea actress their stories. Angelina, who dressed in a chic tan pantsuit and sandals, pled for protection for the victims around the world. “Over half of all refugees and displaced people worldwide are women and children. How we treat them is a measure of our humanity as nations,” she said according to the UNHCR website. "On World Refugee Day my only ask is that people consider the pain and suffering of young girls like these." After her speech, the Mr. and Mrs. Smith actress paid a visit to the International Peace Support Training center.
VER GALERÍA The By the Sea actress is the UNHCR Special Envoy Photo: Getty Images
Ahead of her inspiring trip, Angelina was seen at the airport on June 18 with her children, Maddox, 15, Pax, 13, Zahara, 12, Shiloh, 11, and eight-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox for a flight to Ethiopia. While it is unclear which of their children visited, Brad Pitt had an early Father's Day celebration with them on Saturday.
