ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday acknowledged the “empathy and compassion” of United Nations special envoy Angelina Jolie, who is currently on a visit to Pakistan in solidarity with the flood-affected people.
“Pakistan thanks Angelina Jolie, a special UN envoy, and other unsung heroes for becoming the voice of millions of people whose lives and livelihoods have been destroyed by raging floodwater,” he said in a tweet.
The prime minister said, “We will forever remember their empathy and compassion for suffering humanity.”
Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie visited the flood-hit areas and urged the international community to do more as millions of people are in trouble in the flood-hit areas of Pakistan. During her visit to the National Flood Response Coordination Centre (NFRCC) late Wednesday, Jolie said that she has never seen anything like this disaster before. Besides Jolie, renowned Islamic scholar Mufti Menk and Turkish actor Celal Al also visited the flood-affected areas of Pakistan and extended assistance to the families who suffered the devastation. Actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolie has become the voice and ambassador of the flood affectees who are looking towards the world after virtually losing everything and suddenly finding themselves under the open sky.
Jolie arrived in Pakistan this week to help raise attention to the plight of communities affected by the devastating floods. The monsoon rains and record flooding have badly hit the country, killing more than 1,500 people and affecting more than 33 million.
Her visit, arranged by the International Rescue Committee, is meant to “gain understanding of the situation, and to hear from people affected directly about their needs, and about steps to prevent such sufferings in the future,” the international aid organisation said. Jolie has visited Pakistan a number of times before, most notably in 2005 following a devastating earthquake, which killed more than 80,000 people.
“I am here as a friend to Pakistan and the many warm friends and relationships I have here and will continue to return. My heart is very much with people at this time,” she said in a clip.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before. I came first because of the generosity that the Pakistani people have shown to the people of Afghanistan over the years as a host country,” she added.