Angelina Jolie battled her emotions during a trip to Iraq this week as she visited the graves of villagers who had been killed by ISIS militants.
Angelina Jolie visited Iraq this week
The 'Wanted' star headed to the country on Wednesday with human rights activist Nadia Murad who took the actress to the village of Kocho in the Sinjar district where she grew up - showing Angelina her old school and the cemetery where the bodies of the Yazidi people were buried after being murdered.
Angelina shared a number of pictures on Instagram and was seen with tears in her eyes during the visit, writing: "An emotional day with my friend @Nadia_Murad, who I was honoured to spend the day with in Sinjar in Iraq.
She is doing so much through @Nadiasinitiative to help the Yazidi people and other communities recover after conflict and genocide.
"She took me to the home she grew up in Kocho village, her old school where ISIS militants separated women and men before enslaving and mass murdering them, and the cemetery where the remains of Kocho residents have been laid to rest. Many are still missing and the fight for justice continues."
Nadia also shared pictures of the visit on her own Instagram page and thanked Angelina for coming along. She wrote: "Returning to my home and introducing my friend Angelina Jolie - a dedicated advocate for women, children, and refugees - to my fellow survivors was a moving experience. I am honoured to show her the strength of the Yazidi people and share our survival story with her."
Nadia concluded her post by writing: "Thank you @angelinajolie for joining me on this trip and being an advocate for those most vulnerable throughout the world."
Angelina has spent more than 20 years working for the United Nations' Refugee Agency and campaigning on behalf of those affected by conflict.
The Oscar-winner stepped down from her role with the U.N. in December, but vowed to continue advocating on behalf of refugees.
She said: "I am stepping down today from my work with the U.N. Refugee Agency. I believe in many things the U.N. does, particularly the lives it saves through emergency relief. UNHCR is full of amazing people making a difference to people’s lives every day. Refugees are the people I admire most in the world and I am dedicated to working with them for the rest of my life. I will be working now with organisations led by people most directly affected by conflict, that give the greatest voice to them."
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