Angelina Jolie On Syria: UNHCR Envoy Asks World Leaders To End The Conflict

Angelina Jolie Asks World Leaders To End Syrian War

Angelina Jolie has urged world leaders to end the two-year long Syrian civil war.

The UN Special Envoy for Refugees delivered her message on World Refugee Day, highlighting the importance of ending a war that has displaced 1.6 million people. She spoke at a news conference in Za'atri, the world's second-largest refugee camp and Jordan's largest.

"I appeal to the world leaders - please, set aside their differences, unite to end the violence, and make diplomacy succeed," the Oscar-winning actress declared in her above video statement.

Jolie drew attention to the magnitude of the humanitarian disasters resulting from the war in Syria, which originally began in March 2011.

"Every 14 seconds someone crosses Syria's border and becomes a refugee," Jolie reported. "And by the end of this year, half of Syria's population, 10 million people, will be in desperate need of food, shelter, and assistance."

Her appeal to world leaders is part of her ongoing activism directed at shedding light on the struggles of Syrian refugees and also urging the international community to ramp up foreign aid programs.

The actress began her visit to Za'atri last week, where she also filmed a short video for CNN documenting the conditions of Syrians who have been displaced as a result of the war.

Umm Mohammad, a woman in the camp with whom Jolie spoke, professed her frustration with the lack of aid and attention directed at the refugee crisis.

"Why is no one standing by the Syrian people? No one is helping us," she declared. "They all say they want to support us, but nothing is being done. They have conferences and make statements, but it is worth nothing."

The UN refugee agency has been working to address the concerns of individuals such as Umm Mohammad.

The organization has begun various aid programs in and around Syria - the most recent of which has provided vital resources for over 5,000 persons displaced in Northern Syria.

Despite these efforts, the UN is still far from its current goal to raise $4.4 billion in aid for victims of the Syrian conflict. So far, this request is the UN's largest humanitarian appeal and also the largest in history, according to the UN News Center.

Learn more about the conflict and how you can help on the UNHCR website.

Jolie's full statement is recorded on the UNHCR website.

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