Angelina Jolie has responded to questions about how to help the people of Afghanistan.
The mother, filmmaker and UNHCR Special Envoy who recently joined Instagram to amplify the voices of refugees, has shared a list of six organisations working with Afghan people and providing assistance on the ground.
In a message posted to her stories, she writes:
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“I’ve read in the comments that a lot of you are looking for ways to help the Afghan people. Swipe up or tap the link in my bio to see the international organisations I support that are providing help on the ground in Afghanistan. To protect their identities, I’m not mentioning the many Afghans who are working tirelessly to help their own people. Please go tot their websites to learn more about what’s happening there, share that information with your own communities, and donate if you can. Thank you for wanting to help.”
The organisations she mentions include:
- Médecins Sans Frontières: Also known as Doctors Without Borders, the MSF teams have stayed in Afghanistan to provide essential medical care to people across the country. They have five stations in Herat, Kandahar, Khost, Kunduz, and Lashkar Gah and are treating a range of trauma injuries caused by explosions, bullets and shrapnel as well as widespread displacement. Angelina shares the following link to learn more: https://www.doctorswithoutborders.ca/country/afghanistan
- Islamic Relief Worldwide (Help for Families in Afghanistan): The Afghan people are in urgent need of food, water, hygiene supplies emergency shelter and other items for surivial. Islamic Relief’s emergency response is providing families in Kabul, Balkh, Herat and Nangarhar with these essentials. Angelina shares the following link to learn more: https://www.islamic-relief.org/we-urgently-need-your-help-to-support-vulnerable-families-in-afghanistan/
- UNHCR Appela for Afghanistan: 80 per cent of Afghanistan’s refugees and internally displaced people are women and children. They are dealing with violence, homelessness, food scarcity, drought and the COVID-19 pandemic. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency is providing Afghans with emergency shelter, food, water, sanitation and health care. Angelina shares the following link to learn more: https://donate.unhcr.org/int/en/afghanistan-situation?utm_campaign=HQ_GW_EN_AFS___000AJ&utm_medium=social&utm_source=instagram
- Emergency (in Afghanistan): Emergency has treated over 7 million people impacted by conflict in Afghanistan since 1999. Today, they continue to provide free, high-quality health care, run a number of surgical centres and have set up dozens of first aid posts and health clinics in 40 villages around the country. Angelina shares the following link to learn more: https://en.emergency.it/what-we-do/afghanistan/
- Afghanistan – International Committee of the Red Cross: The ICRC is helping wounded and disabled people, supporting hospitals, improving water and sanitation, helping those detained by the Taliban maintain contact with their families, monitoring International Humanitarian Law violations and supporting the Afghan Red Crescent. Angelina shares the following link to learn more: https://www.icrc.org/en/where-we-work/asia-pacific/afghanistan
- Vital Voices (Emergency Fund for Women and Girls in Afghanistan): Vital Voices is working to safeguard Afghan women most at risk of the Taliban, including women’s rights activists, journalists, educators, human rights defenders and many more. They are coordinating evacuations, providing essentials such as food, clothing and trauma support in countries hosting the women as well as helping with long-term resettlement. Angelina shares the following link to learn more: https://www.vitalvoices.org/2021/08/vital-voices-statement-on-the-women-of-afghanistan/
The UNHCR recently marked 20 years of service from Angelina Jolie who first began advocating for refugees in 2001 as a Goodwill Ambassador before expanding her role to Special Envoy.
(Feature Image Credit: Denis Makarenko/Shutterstock.com)