TUNIS – Actress and goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie appealed on Tuesday for international support for people fleeing the conflict in Libya and for increased aid for those inside the country. Jolie, a goodwill ambassador for the UN refugee agency UNHCR who visited the Libyan-Tunisian border, said recent arrivals from Libya had told her about heavy fighting and assaults.
More than 400,000 people have fled Libya to Tunisia, Egypt, Niger, Algeria, Chad and Sudan since February when rebels rose up against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. More than half have arrived in Tunisia. “The international community has done well to reinforce Tunisia’s remarkable relief effort,” Jolie said in a UNHCR statement.
“But with 2,000 people still crossing each day, we cannot let the funding dry up and need to sustain the momentum.”
