Hollywood A-lister and special envoy to UN Angelina Jolie joined Instagram on Friday, commenting on the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan earlier this week.
Days after the Taliban deposed the Afghan government in the wake of the US military pull-out from the region, the Maleficent star joined the photo-sharing app to share a letter she received from an Afghan girl.
“Right now, the people of Afghanistan are losing their ability to communicate on social media and to express themselves freely,” she wrote, adding, “So I’ve come on Instagram to share their stories and the voices of those across the globe who are fighting for their basic human rights.”
The Oscar-winning actor has already managed to rake in 2.8 million followers just about five hours after sharing her first post.
Angelina Jolie, who also serves as the Special Envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), recalled when she was at the Afghan border just two weeks before 9/11, meeting Afghan refugees who had been fleeing the Taliban twenty years ago.
“It is sickening to watch Afghans being displaced yet again out of the fear and uncertainty that has gripped their country,” she expressed, adding, “To spend so much time and money, to have bloodshed and lives lost only to come to this, is a failure almost impossible to understand.”
The 46-year-old further lamented how sickening it is to watch “how Afghan refugees – some of the most capable people in the world – are treated as a burden.”
“Knowing that if they had the tools and respect, how much they would do for themselves. And meeting so many women and girls who not only wanted an education but fought for it,” she shared, attempting to mobilise people to help Afghan refugees.
“Like others who are committed, I will not turn away. I will continue to look for ways to help. And I hope you’ll join me.”
Taliban insurgents entered the Afghanistan capital Kabul on Aug.15. After US-led forces withdrew the bulk of their remaining troops in July, the Taliban campaign accelerated as the Afghan military’s defences appeared to collapse.
Early on Aug. 15, refugees from Taliban-controlled provinces were seen unloading belongings from taxis and families stood outside embassy gates, while the city’s downtown was packed with people stocking up on supplies.