Slideshow: Angelina Jolie arrives in Haiti as UN Goodwill Ambassador (photos, videos)
U.S. actress and United Nations Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie arrived in Haiti following a visit to the Dominican Republic as a representative for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. During her visit to the Dominican Republic, Angelina Jolie met with President Leonel Fernandez as she toured the National Palace in Santa Domingo.
She visited a hospital in the Dominican Republic where refugees displaced from the Haiti earthquake were receiving medical care. Speaking about the Dominican Republic she stated, “I was heartened to see the care being provided by Dominican doctors and nurses and to witness the generosity of local society, which is caring for discharged patients and their families in their recovery.”
Upon her trip to Port-au-Prince, Haiti Angelina stated that she was there to listen and learn. In addition to meeting with earthquake survivors, whom many of which cheered and greeted her arrival with adulation, and song, Jolie also met with workers from several different aid workers from organizations worldwide, hospitals, and the SOS Children’s Villages that cares for orphans and helps locate parents and family members to reunite them with their children. Though Angelina Jolie is widely known for adopting children and encouraging others to consider adoption she spoke against adopting Haitian children right away.
“New adoptions should definitely not be encouraged as an immediate response to the emergency. Haiti had many trafficking problems before the earthquake and now must keep a very close watch on the children. I would encourage as much support as possible to groups like SOS and UNICEF providing care for children in country,” she said.
Angelina Jolie spent time visiting the UN Development Programme that has assisted approximately 40,000 people to earn money in an effort to rebuild and recover. Angelina stated, “To give people the ability to work towards their own future is so important at this time. It helps to restore their hope and respects their dignity.”
When addressing the need for Haiti to rebuild, Angelina Jolie said, “It will take years to rebuild Haiti, after seeing the devastation from the January 12 earthquake. Every day, the UN, governments, NGOs and local organizations are providing more people with protection, food, water, shelter and health care, yet the needs are still enormous and the displacement could last a decade. Providing adequate shelter to the displaced is of paramount importance, especially as the upcoming rainy season threatens to add to the devastation. Everyone is bracing themselves for a second wave of tragedy."
Angelina met with Haitian President Rene Preval and discussed the many difficulties and challenges facing the nation.
Source: UN Refugee Agency
Comments
plz one chance
It took Angelina how long to help Haiti? Too long...LAMO John Travolta On January 18, 2010 had arranged for a plane to take down some volunteer ministers and some supplies and some medics. The two made a similar trip to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina occurred, and John Travolta was also at Ground Zero soon after the tragedy of 9/11 in 2001. no Press coverage Jennifer Aniston gave $500.000 and also helped with George Clooney Hope for Haiti telethon way before Angelina and Brad ever thought to help...LMAO This is so staged..Its pathetic
You are igmornoant Angelina Jolie donated 1million dollars to hati with Brad plus also went there....Duh she is a good person!
And by the way Jenifer Aniston is forever a staged fake person she can never measure up to Angelina.....and the public still wonders how Brad could have left her the poor little shelfish B@#$TCH!!!
I agree with Bratt. I think everyone needs to give Jennifer Aniston a break. She has done quite a bit for many organizations. Lets remember the big picture here, and that is, there are so many people who are in need of our help. It does not matter who is doing what, or at what level. All that matters is that everyone joins together to help the less fortunate through these horrific disasters.
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