Hollywood star Angelina Jolie called Sunday for a larger focus on conflict prevention rather than responding to its repercussions, during a visit to Iraq with the UN refugee agency.

"I hope that we can find the strength to find a better way forward together: so that we move into a new era of preventing conflict and reducing instability, rather than simply struggling to deal with its consequences," Jolie told a news conference at the Domiz refugee camp in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region.

It was Jolie's third visit to the camp as UNHCR special envoy, after previous visits in 2012 and 2016.

The Domiz camp opened in 2011 and is home to 40,000 Syrian refugees who fled the seven-year civil war across the border.

"When UNHCR's Syria response was only 50 percent funded last year, and this year it is only 17 percent funded, there are terrible human consequences," Jolie said.

"We should be under no illusion about this," she added.

Late last month, the UN made an "urgent and critical" appeal for donations to its main budget for Syrian refugees after contributions pledged in April failed to trickle in.

"When there is not even the bare minimum of aid, refugee families cannot receive adequate medical treatment, women and girls are left vulnerable to sexual violence, many children cannot go to school, and we squander the opportunity of being able to invest in refugees so that they can acquire new skills and support their families," she said.

Her visit coincided with the third day of Eid al-Fitr celebrations marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

On Saturday, Jolie visited western Mosul, held by Islamic State jihadists for nearly three years until they were pushed out by Iraqi forces last summer.

During her visit, she walked through Mosul's destroyed Old City, met with displaced families and spoke about reconstruction.

"This is the worst devastation I have seen in all my years with UNHCR," Jolie said.

"It is deeply upsetting that people who have endured unparallelled brutality have so little as they try, somehow, to rebuild the lives they once had."

The visit marked Jolie's 61st mission -- and fifth to Iraq -- with the UN refugee agency since 2001.

Related Links
Iraq: The first technology war of the 21st century

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Uproar over alleged barring of Iraq orphans from shopping centre
Baghdad (AFP) June 17, 2018
A furious online backlash has erupted against a chic Baghdad shopping centre after volunteers said their party of 25 Iraqi war orphans was denied entry. Volunteers from the Ruhmaa Benahm orphan association had hoped to give the orphans a rare treat for the Eid al-Fitr holiday by taking them to a restaurant and playground at the mall, group spokesman Ibrahim Taha said. The restaurant was "reserved and paid for" but the party was denied entry, Taha said. The children, aged between seven and 15 ... read more