-
Angelina Jolie - Source: Reuters -
Related
Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie visited earthquake victims in
Haiti in her latest trip to help survivors of conflict and natural
disaster as a goodwill envoy for a United Nations agency.
Jolie, 34, who has been a goodwill ambassador for the UN refugee
agency UNHCR since early 2001, travelled to quake-shattered
Port-au-Prince after visiting injured Haitian children in a
hospital on Tuesday in neighboring Dominican Republic.
The actress, who has been on numerous UN humanitarian missions to
help refugees from more than 20 countries, was due to visit a
hospital and other relief sites treating hundreds of thousands of
hurt and homeless Haitian quake survivors.
The dark-haired Hollywood star, wearing a black jacket and aviator
sunglasses, waved to reporters when she visited a UN base near
Port-au-Prince airport, before she was driven away in a white UN
vehicle.
UNHCR officials in Port-au-Prince told reporters her visit was
"private."
In Geneva, UNHCR spokesman Andrej Mahecic declined to give
specifics about Jolie's itinerary in Haiti, citing security reasons
for its long-standing policy of not disclosing details of trips by
its goodwill ambassadors.
On Tuesday in the Dominican Republic, the actress visited a
hospital in Santo Domingo where dozens of injured Haitians, mainly
children, have been treated since the devastating January 12 quake
in Haiti that killed more than 200,000 people.
"She talked to several children and to a Haitian woman who
recognised her and asked her for help," said Dario Manon, a doctor
who accompanied Jolie on her tour of the Dario Contreras trauma
hospital.
Jolie met Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernandez on
Tuesday to discuss Haiti's immediate aid needs, a government
spokesman said. The president congratulated Jolie for her
humanitarian work as a goodwill ambassador for the UN refugee
agency, the spokesman said.
Jolie, her actor partner Brad Pitt, and a host of other Hollywood
and pop music stars have donated money to the relief efforts in
Haiti, and in some cases also led charity collections for quake
victims.
Pitt and Jolie were among the first to reach out to Haiti by
donating $1 million from their foundation to Doctors Without
Borders, which also received $1 million from actress Sandra
Bullock. Sean Penn visited Haiti soon after the quake, and Madonna
donated $250,000 through Partners in Health.
