Angelina Jolie, the U.S. actress and UN special envoy for refugees, arrived in Pakistan's Sindh Province on September 20 to visit areas devastated by some of the worst flooding in the country's recent history.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC), a global humanitarian group, said Jolie's tour is a show of support for affected Pakistanis and an effort to boost understanding of the situation, hear from victims, and prevent future disasters.
Officials in Sindh said she initially visited the Dadu district, where she "spoke to women and children about their problems and needs," an official told RFE/RL correspondent Niaz Ali in Karachi city.
Jolie was previously in Pakistan as a special UN envoy after a deadly 2005 earthquake and after flooding in 2010.
Pakistani officials say around 1,500 people have died from the flooding after intense monsoon rains and glacial melting, and many others rendered homeless.
Humanitarian groups and experts warn that disease and a lack of health care are the biggest ongoing dangers.
The floods caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to infrastructure.
Pakistan and the United Nations have already appealed for international assistance to rebuild.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited flooded areas on September 10 to raise awareness of the disaster.
"Today it's Pakistan, tomorrow it could be your country wherever you live," Guterres said, repeating expert warnings that climate change is likely to exacerbate natural catastrophes. "This is a global crisis,... it requires a global response."
