Jolie, Pitt to visit quake-hit Pakistan for UN

GENEVA - Hollywood stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, who have been romantically linked, plan to visit quake survivors in northern Pakistan in coming days.

Jolie, a goodwill ambassador for the UN refugee agency, has traveled to more than 20 countries since taking up the high-profile job in August 2001.

"We'll be on our way to Pakistan in a matter of days," Jolie, dressed in light-colored trousers and a black raincoat, said after she and Pitt attended private briefings at the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) today.

About 100 staff thronged them, many seeking photographs and autographs as they left its Geneva headquarters after the unannounced visit.

The UNHCR, through a joint airlift with NATO, has flown winterized tents and shelter material to hundreds of thousands of people left homeless by the devastating October 8 quake, which killed more than 73,000 people in Pakistan.

But needs remain great in the mountainous Kashmiri region as the harsh winter begins to bite, according to UN aid agencies.

It was the first time that Jolie, who visits UNHCR headquarters about once a year, was accompanied by Pitt.

The Oscar-winning actress has traveled widely for the Nobel-winning agency, which protects people fleeing wars and persecution, including Sierra Leone, Cambodia, Kosovo, Russia and Sudan's Darfur region.

Jolie said her latest briefings with staff had covered the environment, violence against women and trafficking.

"She takes her work for us extremely seriously and that means a lot to her and the staff. She's a terrific goodwill ambassador who can help people understand the difficult life of a refugee," said UNHCR spokeswoman Jennifer Pagonis.

Pitt - sporting a gray wool knit hat, as well as the start of a beard - attended the briefings but appeared to be playing a supporting role this time.

Jolie and Pitt, who starred in "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," led the field of People's Choice Award contenders announced in Los Angeles earlier this month with three nominations each.

The pair, who played married assassins ordered to kill each other in the box-office hit, have been romantically linked in media reports since last year, and the rumors heated up after Pitt and ex-wife Jennifer Aniston split in January.

- REUTERS