|
Ben Affleck, Mick Jagger join forces to help Congo refugees
2008-12-17
GENEVA (AFP) - US actor Ben Affleck and Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger have unveiled a film they hope will raise awareness about refugees hit by the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The 23-minute film, "Gimme Shelter," is directed by Ben Affleck and features the Stones' hit, taken from their 1969 album "Let it Bleed," the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said in a statement. The film features footage shot last month in the strife-torn eastern region of Nord-Kivu, where a quarter-million people have been forced to flee their homes since fighting between rebels and government forces flared up in August. "We made this film in order to focus attention on the humanitarian crisis in the DRC at a time when too much of the world is indifferent or looking the other way," said Affleck. "The suffering and loss we've all seen first-hand is staggering -- it is beyond belief." "We all need to stand up and support the work of organisations like UNHCR who are on the ground offering protection and working hard to ensure the rights and well-being of refugees," he added. Jagger said he hoped the film -- which aims to raise 23 million dollars (17 million euros) for clean water and emergency assistance kits for Nord-Kivu -- would raise public awareness of the ongoing crisis. "I hope this video will help highlight the plight of the hundreds of thousands of displaced people and also the thousands of innocent people who are needlessly losing their lives there," he said. The film "Gimme Shelter" will be distributed worldwide via the Internet, television, mobile phones, cinemas and hotel chains to raise public awareness, the UNHCR said.
| 
