Angelina Jolie, the actress and special envoy for the UN's refugee agency, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, is calling global attention to the plight of the Rohingya in a new video. Suffering ethnic cleansing at the hands of the Myanmar government, many in the Muslim sect have fled over the border to Bangladesh, where they can receive UNHCR aid.
A seemingly endless stream of displaced people are shown as Jolie notes, "the vast majority are women and children, newborn babies and the elderly. They arrive exhausted, injured, hungry and traumatized. They describe their villages burned down, women and girls raped, small children ripped out of the mothers' arms and killed. And fathers executed in front of their families."
Jolie gives a quick political primer for the unaware: "The Rohingya are a stateless people. They are denied citizenship and rights in Myanmar, and access to basic services, despite having lived in the country for centuries."
Joile urges viewers "not to forget them and not to turn away." Getting Americans to turn their gaze to the plight of refugees is always difficult; that challenged is heightened when the president expends more energy keeping refugees out of America than pledging aid for them. But the UNHCR can only hope that Jolie's star power can grab their attention.
Over 600,000 Rohingya Have Fled To Bangladesh
The video appeal begins with aerial footage of a Rohingya refugee camp. An off-camera Jolie somberly explains, "over 600,000 Rohingya people have fled ... in the space of just two months. It is the fastest growing refugee crisis in the world.A seemingly endless stream of displaced people are shown as Jolie notes, "the vast majority are women and children, newborn babies and the elderly. They arrive exhausted, injured, hungry and traumatized. They describe their villages burned down, women and girls raped, small children ripped out of the mothers' arms and killed. And fathers executed in front of their families."
Jolie gives a quick political primer for the unaware: "The Rohingya are a stateless people. They are denied citizenship and rights in Myanmar, and access to basic services, despite having lived in the country for centuries."
Can Angelia Jolie Get America To Pay Attention to a New Refugee Crisis?
A young mother sadly stares at the camera, with a young child draped in her arms, while Jolie pleads, "At this defining moment, as they struggle to survive as refugees, their lives depend on our support." We then see aid workers carry large sacks labelled UNHCR. The video ends with a URL address where people can donate to UNHCR.Joile urges viewers "not to forget them and not to turn away." Getting Americans to turn their gaze to the plight of refugees is always difficult; that challenged is heightened when the president expends more energy keeping refugees out of America than pledging aid for them. But the UNHCR can only hope that Jolie's star power can grab their attention.