Angelina Jolie Arrives in Yemen to Aid Refugees as She Likens Crisis to War in Ukraine

"Everyone deserves the same compassion," Angelina Jolie wrote of the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Yemen, where she's assisting the United Nations Refugee Agency

By Glenn Garner
March 06, 2022

CREDIT: MARCO RAVAGLI/BARCROFT MEDIA VIA GETTY

Angelina Jolie is on the ground in Yemen to assist refugees amid the unfolding war in Ukraine.

The Academy Award winner, 46, updated her 12.4 million Instagram followers Sunday as she arrived in the capital city of Aden, where she's working with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to provide aid.

"I've landed in Aden, to meet displaced families and refugees for UNHCR @refugees and show my support for the people of Yemen," Jolie wrote in the caption. "I will do my best to communicate from the ground as the days unfold."

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"As we continue to watch the horrors unfolding in Ukraine, and call for an immediate end to the conflict and humanitarian access, I'm here in Yemen to support people who also desperately need peace. The situation here is one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with one civilian killed or injured every hour in 2022. An economy devastated by war, and over 20 million Yemenis depending on humanitarian assistance to survive," she added.

Jolie, who has long been an advocate for the people of Yemen, likened the country's ongoing humanitarian crisis to the current devastation in Ukraine, urging compassion for those impacted by both conflicts.




"This week a million people were forced to flee the horrific war in Ukraine. If we learn anything from this shocking situation, it is that we cannot be selective about who deserves support and whose rights we defend. Everyone deserves the same compassion," she penned. "The lives of civilian victims of conflict everywhere are of equal value. After seven years of war, the people of Yemen also need protection, support, and above all, peace."


Since 2014, Yemen has been enduring a civil war, with both the Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi-led Yemeni government and the Supreme Political Council's Houthi movement claiming to run the country. Millions of Yemeni civilians continue to face starvation due to famine, while more than 100,000 have reportedly died amid the conflicts, which include Saudi Arabia-backed bombing campaigns.



Russia's 2022 attack on Ukraine continues after their forces launched a large-scale invasion on Feb. 24 — the first major land conflict in Europe in decades. Details of the fighting change by the day, but hundreds of civilians have already been reported dead or wounded, including children. More than a million Ukrainians have also fled, the United Nations says.


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The invasion, ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, has drawn condemnation around the world and increasingly severe economic sanctions against Russia. Putin insists Ukraine has historic ties to Russia and that he is acting in the best security interests of his country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed not to bend.


The Russian attack on Ukraine is an evolving story, with information changing quickly. Follow PEOPLE's complete coverage of the war here, including stories from citizens on the ground and ways to help.