Angelina Jolie has marked the first anniversary of the Cambodia border conflict by expressing support for thousands of people who remain displaced, saying her “heart is with everyone still waiting to come home.”
In a post on Instagram, the Oscar-winning actress and humanitarian said the conflict, which erupted a year ago along Cambodia’s border, “upended the safety and stability of so many.”
According to Jolie, nearly 30,000 people remain internally displaced and are still unable to return to their homes.
Jolie, who has long been involved in humanitarian and conservation work in Cambodia, described the country as “a special country for me and my family.”
“This is my son’s country of birth, our home is here,” she wrote, referring to her eldest son, Maddox. She said her family has worked for more than 20 years with a locally led team on conservation and community development through the Maddox Foundation, which is headquartered near the border where the recent conflict took place.
She said she had become close friends with local residents and the foundation’s staff while helping clear landmines and develop the area.
View this post on Instagram
“When the fighting broke out last year, we had to evacuate our staff and their families — a painful reminder of just how quickly conflict can return,” Jolie wrote.
While saying the foundation has since resumed its work protecting the environment and supporting local communities’ health and livelihoods, Jolie said she continues to think of those who remain displaced.
“I love this country and its resilient, warm people. While we’re grateful to have resumed our work protecting the land and supporting the community’s health and livelihoods, my heart is with everyone still waiting to come home,” she said.
