Put aside corruption fears and donate cash: Jolie

Jolie said people should not use corruption as an excuse to not give assistance.


Express September 09, 2010

ISLAMABAD: Hollywood star and UN goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie urged people on Wednesday to put aside corruption fears and donate cash, as she ended a tour of areas devastated by the floods.

“I don’t want some people to use it [corruption] as an excuse not to give assistance,” Jolie told reporters at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Islamabad office. “I have seen what they have done in the field. I have physically seen people assisted, so if you are nervous about giving money directly in one way, there are other ways to do it,” she said. Later, in a meeting with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, she said that she was deeply moved by the devastation caused by floods but hoped that the courage with which the millions of Pakistanis were facing the calamity would help them rise again.

“I am pleased to see that the Pakistani people are not losing hope and are confronting the challenges courageously,” she said, assuring full commitment to the political leadership.

According to a statement, Gilani called on Jolie and influential people alike to help the flood survivors in Pakistan by sensitising the international community. “Such people must move to create better awareness about the plight of millions of people and to mobilise support for the immediately required assistance for relief and rehabilitation,” he said.

Gilani thanked Angelina Jolie for her expression of solidarity and support with the people of Pakistan and said that her visit was important for drawing the world’s attention to the distress and despair of victims.

The prime minister told her about the massive devastation caused by the natural calamity and underlined the vulnerabilities of affected women and children in particular. He also emphasised the need for providing educational facilities to displaced children through make-shift schools.

Earlier, Jolie also visited flood-hit areas in the northwest. Speaking of the flood-hit villagers who she met during her visit, she said that she was particularly moved by an elderly couple in their 70s who had built their lives from nothing and seen it all washed away. “If I could put a face on this disaster it would be these wonderful, kind, funny and hard working people who lost everything,” she said.

Jolie said that she met women who had lost children, and children who asked her only for electricity, water and food, among the many “resilient” survivors. “They have been hit and lost so much that they kind of feel that they need to go with God and hope that something, anything, is going to make the situation better,” she said.

Asked if she would consider adopting a child from Pakistan, Jolie – a mother of six, including three adopted children from abroad – said that she would not consider it because of religious sensitivities. “There are different feelings about adoption in Muslim countries so I would never consider adjusting those rules,” she said, adding that there were other ways to sponsor a child. (With additional input from AFP)

Published in The Express Tribune, September 9th, 2010.

COMMENTS (3)

J.Butt | 13 years ago | Reply The philanthropist, soft-hearted world’s number one female actress, Angelina Julie is not at all happy with her visit to Pakistan to see the flood victims. She came here, held the hands of the victims, made donations, stood up with the miseries of the people, denied any photo sessions, met with the aid agencies, but then she talks about the darker side of the things. She is not happy with the attitude of the authorities and the government, who were more interested in toeing her line, watching her make movements, trying to please her while pushing the flood victims. She was also perturbed at the Prime Minister’s wish that his family wanted to meet him. Prime Minster’s family was especially flown down all the way from Multan to Islamabad and they presented expensive gifts to Jolie and had a sumptuous meal with her. She said that she was feeling awful at that time to see so much food at the table, suffice for hundreds of flood victims who were fighting like crazy to get a small bag of flour and a small bottle of water. She was ill at ease when she saw the interior of lavish Premier house and some of the government buildings and the chartered planes and other such luxuries, when there was so much misery outside. In her report to the United Nations, she has recommended UN to ask Pakistani government to first cut down on their expenses and to first cut down their luxuries before asking the aid from the world.
Abrar Ali | 13 years ago | Reply Look what she is telling us.She is not an opportunist like our TV anchors and newspaper columnist (with some exceptions ).She is telling us what God & His messenger has told us to do.
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