Angelina Jolie is still in Pakistan! Only she finally took off her Grim Reaper hijab and put on her beloved neutrals to meet with Pakistani prime minister. She’s also still doing a massive amount of press while in-country. Most news agencies are claiming that the UNHCR is using Jolie to jumpstart a donation drive, and to bring an international media spotlight on Pakistan. Which… if the UNHCR planned it this way, good for them. After Jolie publicly condemned the burning of the Qu’ran yesterday, she’s pretty much gotten the attention of every media outlet, gossip sites and legit news sources.

Here are some highlights of what she’s spoken about thus far, plus video of her CNN interview yesterday, with CNN’s Sanjay Gupta… it’s a really good piece. Angelina admits that she “doesn’t have a lot of friends” that can talk to about her UNHCR work:

On transparency: UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie said that transparency must for every government while most of the country trust on the government of Pakistan for the assistance of flood victims. She said that while addressing at a press conference here on Wednesday, and adding that “I never seen that type of flood in my life”, its huge disaster.

On the UNHCR’s work: “It is a unique example of generosity.”

On Pakistan’s history with refugees: “Over the last three decades, Pakistan has been very generous in hosting what continues to be the largest refugee population in the world. It is now the Pakistani people themselves who are in need of large-scale assistance.”

On the conditions on the ground in the flood zone: “There was a small stream outside the broken homes. It was full of a mix of feces, flies, old shoes and old clothes that had been recently washed into the water.”

On some of the people she had met: “The woman is so embarrassed with her situation, and the man spoke of the fact that he never felt in his lifetime he is ever going to be able to recuperate what he’s lost — that he would never again have nice things, he would never have a nice bed, a nice house. They lived in this place since 1972 and raised their children and their grandchildren there. And in a moment, a few hours, it was completely gone.” She said the area the couple lived in is now covered in mud and dirt, with feces in the fly-covered river nearby, all because of the floods. “It doesn’t have the dignity that they deserve to live in — anybody deserves to live in,” Jolie said.

On what has been lost for the Pakistanis: “It’s clear this crisis is far from over. People have lost everything, their homes, their belongings, their crops and cattle, and their livelihoods. Long after the cameras have gone, people will be struggling to rebuild their lives.”

On trauma-plagued Pakistan: “We must not forget flooding is not the only trauma plaguing this country. They are still rebuilding infrastructure from the earthquake of 2005. They continue to have large numbers of IDPs as a result of the conflict in the north, and host 1.7 million Afghan refugees who still need care and refuge as conflict continues in their homeland. And now, of course, the recent flooding and its aftermath already affecting millions and the looming threat of disease.”

On focus being pulled from Pakistan: “One problem does not negate the other, one headline should not pull focus from the many complexities of the situation in Pakistan,” said the Goodwill Ambassador, stressing the need for continuing efforts to support those in need.

On people refusing to donate because of corruption fears: “I don’t want some people to use it (corruption) as an excuse not to give assistance,” Jolie told reporters at the UN refugee agency’s Islamabad office. “I have seen what they have done in the field. I’ve physically seen people assisted, so if you are nervous about giving money directly in one way there are other ways to do it.”

In the end, she has hope: “They are people. They are family, and lovely, lovely, hard-working people and beautiful children, and they deserve dignity and assistance, and we have to treat them with respect and try to preserve what we can of their livelihood and their future…I think we have no choice but to be optimistic and to have hope. I think without that, we are just lost, and things deteriorate.”

[From CNN, The Pakistani Daily Mail & The UNHCR Press Release]

This is just heartbreaking… the whole situation, the history Pakistan has with these natural disasters, the current situation and how it is crippling the country. It’s also sad that it takes Angelina to really get the situation the kind of urgent, international media coverage.

The UNHCR Donation page is here – directs funds specifically to the UNHCR mission in Pakistan.