UN envoy Angelina Jolie visits refugee camp in Iraq

PanARMENIAN.Net - Hollywood star Angelina Jolie is visiting Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region Sunday, September 16 after cancellation of her flight from Baghdad because of bad weather, according to CNN.

Jolie's flight to Erbil was canceled Saturday, said Aurvasi Patel, assistant representative of the United Nation's refugee agency. She made it there a day later.

After she met with Kurdish officials at Erbil airport, the actress met with refugees at a Syrian camp in Dohuk province.

Jolie, a special envoy for the refugee agency, met Iraqi returnees from Syria and senior government officials Saturday in Baghdad.

She discussed the situation of Syrian refugees in Iraq with Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari at his office in Baghdad, the ministry said in a statement.

They also talked about the Iraqi government's efforts to meet the daily needs of refugees, the statement said.

Zebari told Jolie that the number of Syrian refugees who have fled the conflict to seek sanctuary in Iraq has risen to 21,000. Many are now living in Iraq's western Anbar and northern Duhok provinces.

Zebari said nearly 31,000 Iraqis have also fled the war in Syria and returned to their native country.

Jolie also met with officials from the Iraqi ministry that deals with displaced people.