Jolie Donates $100,000 for Refugees (in Western Sahara)

AP ^ | September 14, 2002 | AP

[Tancred]

GENEVA (AP) - Film star Angelina Jolie has donated $100,000 to provide food for Western Sahara refugees.

Jolie, a goodwill ambassador for the U.N High Commissioner for Refugees, gave the money Friday to UNHCR and the World Food Program to help support some 155,000 refugees living in camps in southeastern Algeria.

"I was distressed when this desperate situation was brought to my attention. I hope to encourage other people to make themselves aware of this crisis facing the Western Saharan refugees and do what they can to help," Jolie said in a statement.

WFP said last month it would be forced in October to slash the food it provides each refugee to the equivalent of 231 calories a day unless it receives new donations. The standard U.N. refugee ration totals 2,100 calories daily.

WFP said it needed donations of 8,336 metric tons (9,170 short tons) of food, or $3.7 million, to support the refugees for four months.

The refugees have been living in camps since Morocco annexed the mineral-rich Western Sahara in 1975. They are almost entirely dependent on aid for survival.

[Tancred]

This is a nice gesture on her part, putting her money where her (very pretty) mouth is.

But I have to admit that I'm unfamiliar with the situation in the Western Sahara. How come nobody else in the Moslem world is complaining about the plight of these refugees? And how come they're still living in camps after 27 years?

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Just because you haven't seen Muslim's complaining about the plight doesn't mean they're not complaining. I mean, look how long it took for Mugabe to come to the mainstream news.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

She's got that adoption disease going. I wonder if she's going to turn into a crazy Mia Farrow type who can't stop adopting? (not to say Woody Allen isn't one sick puppy either, because he IS...but Mia is also a crazy adopting wingnut).

[shiva]

Now, if the money reaches the refugees...well, that's another story.........

[Tancred]

More information on the Western Sahara:

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/wi.html

http://www.oneworld.org/guides/sahara/history.html

http://www.arso.org/index.htm

From the above website: (http://www.arso.org/01-e02-37.htm)

"HUMANITARIAN AID 13.09.02 Donation The actress Angelina Jolie, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, donated $100,000 for urgently needed food aid for the Western Sahara refugees. She is the first major private donor to respond to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Food Programme (WFP) joint appeal in late August for contributions to help feed and assist the Saharawi refugees."(WSO- UNHCR news)"

There are only about 250,000 people in that area (like, duh, it's a desert); people mostly engage in pastoral activities for their food. The area is also quite rich in phosphates. Interestingly enough, Cape Bojador, about one-third of the way down the coast, was long a psychological barrier to early Portuguese navigators until they overcame their fears and commenced their great explorations of the African coast in the latter part of the 15th century.