Angelina Jolie is currently visiting Pakistan on the behalf of International Rescue Committee (IRC). She visited the flood-affected areas in Sindh, traveling via a boat, to analyze and assess the damage that has been done. She also met the affected families and tried to comfort them during this time of distress.
Read more: Twitter applauds Angelina Jolie for her visit to Pakistan to help the flood victims
On Wednesday, Angelina visited the National Flood Response Coordination Centre (NFRCC) and met Deputy Chairman NFRCC, Ahsan Iqbal, who welcomed the actress and thanked her for her efforts. In a press conference, she talked about the crisis Pakistan is facing at present and expressed her concern.
“I have never seen anything like this and I have, as you mentioned, been to Pakistan many times. I came first because of the generosity that the Pakistani people have shown to the people of Afghanistan over the years as a host county. It’s often the countries that don’t have as much give more than so many other countries,” she said.
“Even as somebody who has been a part of humanitarian aid for years, we often look at a crisis and we think of how to solve it, what we can do, what to rebuild, or how to help the children or food. And now we are in a situation like this, where it is…the needs are so great and truly every effort is life and death,” she added.
The loss due to floods accounts for $30 billion in damage with more than 3.5 million acres of arable land destroyed. In addition, one-third of land has been inundated with roughly affecting 33 million people. Angelina explained the gravity of this and urged that instant aid is provided.
“I have seen those lives who were saved but I have also seen those who…I have been speaking to people and thinking if enough aid doesn’t come, they won’t be here in the next few weeks. They won’t make it.”
She expressed the distress she felt seeing people in this condition.
“I am overwhelmed but I don’t think it is even fair to say that because I am not living this. I just simply try to speak up and help.”
Despite Pakistan’s contribution to global carbon emissions being less than 1%, it is listed as one of the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis.
“I think this is a real wake-up call to the world about where we are at. Climate change is not only real and it is not coming. It is very much here…Now this time we see it’s the countries that cause less damage to the environment that are now bearing the brunt of the disaster and the pain and death.”
Watch Angelina’s interview clip here:
The current flood situation in Pakistan is indeed heard-breaking, distressing, and palpable. We are grateful to all those, including Angelina Jolie, for extending help to people in distress. We just hope that the affected people soon get rehabilitated.
