Actress Angelina Jolie issued a humanitarian appeal Wednesday for tens of thousands of people affected by the fast-unfolding emergencies in Libya and Ivory Coast.
Jolie, a UN refugee agency goodwill ambassador, added her voice to calls by United Nations agencies to protect civilians displaced by conflict in Libya, including thousands of refugees and asylum seekers still inside or trying to leave the country for neighbouring Egypt and Tunisia.
The agencies are also calling on all sides to protect the human rights and safety of civilians trying to flee clashes in Ivory Coast, many of them crossing the border into Liberia.
"As we witness these newest crises unfold in west and north Africa, it is critical that all parties respect the fundamental right of people in danger to flee to safety, whether civilians caught in conflict in their own country or refugees and asylum seekers caught in new conflicts," Jolie said. "All I'm asking is that civilians be protected, and not targeted or harmed."
Jolie issued her appeal from Afghanistan, where she was meeting with refugees struggling to survive and adjust after years in exile.
