Angelina Jolie Visits Flood-Affected Areas in Pakistan to Comfort Victims

Rapid Increase in Deaths Due to Waterborne Disease Outbreak in Pakistan
International Relief Committee Hopes Jolie's Visit Will Bring More Attention to Pakistan

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie. Photo by AP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] Amid the worst flooding in Pakistan, Hollywood star Angelina Jolie (46) visited the flood-affected areas.

According to local Pakistani media on the 20th (local time), Jolie arrived at Karachi Airport, a major southern city, and moved to the Dadu region. Sindh province, which includes Karachi and Dadu, is the area most severely affected by the floods in Pakistan.

Pakistan has experienced severe flooding due to the seasonal monsoon rains that began in mid-June. Over July and August, 391mm of rain fell, which is 190% more than the average for those months.

Pakistani authorities stated that one-third of the country’s land was submerged by the floods, and about 33 million people, approximately 15% of the population, were affected by the disaster.

Flood victims in Sindh Province, Pakistan. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

Recently, as the rain stopped and floodwaters receded, the number of deaths directly caused by the flooding has decreased, but deaths from waterborne diseases have surged. In the flood-affected areas, 70,000 people received treatment daily for waterborne illnesses.

To make matters worse, displaced people who lost their homes and are staying in temporary shelters remain exposed to contaminated water and other hazards. Dengue fever cases have also sharply increased due to forest mosquitoes.

Jolie has been serving as a UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) Goodwill Ambassador since 2011. She has visited conflict zones such as Mosul in Iraq and Yemen to raise international awareness of humanitarian crises. In May, she visited Ukraine, which is under Russian invasion, to comfort refugees and the wounded exhausted by the war.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) stated, "Jolie visited Pakistan to assess the people affected by the recent floods and to hear their voices. With more rain expected, we hope her visit will encourage the world to pay more attention to Pakistan and take action."

Meanwhile, since July 1, the cumulative number of flood-related patients has exceeded 2.7 million, and the cumulative death toll, excluding disease-related deaths, has reached 1,559.

International organizations such as the UN and various countries have sent emergency supplies and aid, but due to the vast extent of the affected areas, many places remain out of reach of relief efforts.