International Rescue Committee Media Alert - June 25, 2008

Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt Donate to International Rescue Committee Programs for Iraqi Children

The Jolie-Pitt Foundation has announced $1 million in donations for children impacted by the Iraq crisis, including $200,000 to support IRC education programs for children living in volatile areas of southern Iraq.

"This generous donation will help restore vital education services for Iraqi children whose schooling was disrupted by ongoing violence," said George Rupp, president of the International Rescue Committee.

"Once again, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are showing their commitment to aid innocent and ordinary people whose lives have been turned upside down by conflict," Rupp said. "We hope their dedication will inspire others to help Iraqi families in need."

The funding will help the IRC rehabilitate three rundown and overcrowded schools in Najaf and Karbala that are struggling to accommodate influxes of displaced Iraqi children. The gift will also be used to provide catch-up classes for children who have missed schooling due to violence and safe recreational areas for children to play.

"These educational support programs for children of conflict are the best way to help them heal," said Jolie in announcing the donation. "We hope to encourage others to give to these great organizations," Pitt added.

The IRC currently works with local partners in north, central and southern Iraq, as well as Jordan and Syria to deliver critical humanitarian aid for many of the 4 million Iraqis who have been uprooted by years of crisis.

The IRC also works with the Education Partnership for Children of Conflict, of which Angelina Jolie is a co-chair along with Gene Sperling. The initiative, launched in 2007, aims to improve access to education for children in emergencies. Its initial campaigns are focusing on Iraq and Darfur, Sudan.

Last year, the Jolie-Pitt Foundation donated more than $300,000 to support the IRC's life-saving relief programs for Darfur refugees.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: visit www.theIRC.org/educatingiraqis or contact Melissa Winkler, melissa.winkler@theIRC.org or 646-734-0305. For more details about the $1 million Jolie / Pitt donation, visit www.educationpartnership.org/news/us-iraq

About the IRC A global leader in humanitarian assistance, the International Rescue Committee works in 43 countries offering help and hope to refugees and others uprooted by conflict and oppression. During crises, IRC teams provide health care, shelter, clean water, sanitation, learning and healing programs for children and special aid for women. As emergencies subside, the IRC stays to revive livelihoods and help shattered communities recover and rebuild. The IRC also helps resettle refugees admitted into the United States. A tireless advocate for the most vulnerable, the IRC is committed to restoring hope, dignity and opportunity.