Hollywood star Angelina Jolie felt that the devastating floods in Pakistan should serve as a wake-up call to the world about the consequences of climate change, calling after a visit to a number of victims of this catastrophe to provide additional assistance to the victims.
“I have never seen anything like it,” UN High Commissioner for Refugees spokeswoman Angelina Jolie said on Wednesday.
The American actress traveled to Pakistan after two previous natural disasters: the devastating 2005 earthquake and the massive 2010 flood.
The latest official report shows that monsoonal floods, exacerbated by global warming, have flooded a third of Pakistan since June and killed nearly 1,600 people, according to the latest official report.
The disaster also displaced more than seven million people, many of whom have since lived in makeshift camps without protection from mosquitoes and suffer from lack of drinking water and sanitation.
“I strongly support you when it comes to pushing the international community to do more (…) This is a real wake-up call to the world about where we are” on climate change, Jolie said during a meeting with civilian and military representatives to Islamabad.
“Climate change is not only real, not only about to happen, it is already fully present,” she added.
The artist visited the state of Sindh (south), which is one of the most affected areas, where she spoke with affected people living in camps after flooding forced them to flee.
The United Nations has warned that Pakistan is now at risk of a “second catastrophe” caused by diseases such as dengue fever, malaria, cholera, diarrhea or malnutrition.
“I talked to people and told myself that if they don’t get enough help, they won’t be here in a few weeks, they won’t be able to survive. There are many children who are very malnourished.” – Angelina Jolie continuation.
