Angelina Jolie visits refugee camp in Burkina Faso

Hollywood star and U.N. special envoy Angelina Jolie visited the camp at Goudebou, in the northeast of the landlocked west African country, on Sunday.

This visit comes as part of her role as an ambassador for the UN refugee organization, the UNHCR.

Oscar-winning actor Jolie arrived by helicopter accompanied by Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister Alpha Barry for a ceremony to mark World Refugee Day.

“I’m here to show my solidarity to the Bukinabe people who continue to welcome the displaced brothers and sisters despite terrible attacks and challenges, sharing what little they have at a time when other countries with far more have closed their borders and their minds to the refugees,” Jolie said.

“I have marked this day every year for 20 years with refugees in different countries,” she said after her visit.

“I have never been as worried about the state of displacement globally as I am today,” she added.

“The truth is we are not doing half of what we could and should to find solutions to enable refugees to return home — or to support host countries, like Burkina Faso, coping for years with a fraction of the humanitarian aid needed to provide basic support and protection,” she added.

The refugee camp in Burkina Faso is sheltering thousands of Malians who have fled jihadist violence in the region.

An attack in March last year forced some 9,000 refugees, sheltering there despite previous raids, to flee and caused its de facto closure.

Since December, the Burkinabe authorities and the UNHCR have been relocating the refugees there, having stepped up security at the camp.

As being reported, There are now more soldiers posted at a new barracks and increased patrols.

Between December and July, nearly 11,000 people from towns in Burkina Faso’s north have returned to Goudebou, said the UNHCR.