Angelina Jolie said the world has failed its refugees.
(Photo: Getty Images)
During a press conference at a refugee camp in Lebanon Tuesday, the 40-year-old actress said countries need to do “more than simply protecting your borders or simply putting forward more aid.”
“We cannot manage the world through aid relief in the place of diplomacy and political solutions,” Jolie said. “We cannot discuss this as if it were a problem confined to the situation of tens of thousands of refugees in Europe. We cannot improve this reality by partial responses, by responding to some crises and not others, or by helping some refugees and not others.”
“My plea today is that we need governments around the world to show leadership,” she added. (RELATED: Angelina Jolie: I Have Chickenpox)
Jolie said she had hoped to be in Syria on the fifth anniversary of the uprising against Bashar Assad.
“It is tragic and shameful that we seem to be so far from that point.”
(Photo: Getty Images)
“I want to be clear that I understand that people in many different countries have fears about the refugee situation,” Jolie continued.
“They are worried about the impact on their communities, livelihoods and security if they accept refugees into their countries. It is not wrong to feel unsettled face by a crisis of such complexity and such magnitude. But we must not let fears get the better of us.”
“In my view it comes down to understanding the law, choosing not to be afraid, and showing political will. For the sake of the people of Syria, and for all the refugees around the world looking desperately to the international community to provide solutions, I hope we will do this.” (RELATED: Angeline Jolie Opens Up About Cancer Scare In Rare Interview)