Dame Angelina Jolie to 'dedicate her working life to humanitarian work'

Angelina Jolie in a refugee camp in Pakistan Credit: Reuters

Angelina Jolie has received an honorary damehood for services to UK foreign policy and her recent campaign to end war zone sexual violence.

The Oscar-winning actress has been working with the United Nations for over a decade, participating in nearly 50 field missions around the world.

Read: Angelina Jolie lands damehood for campaign work

Jolie said she was honoured and humbled by the commendation.

Read: Hague and Jolie attend sexual violence in war summit

The actress has previously said she became interested in humanitarian affairs in 2000 when she went to Cambodia to film "Tomb Raider" and experienced the aftermath of a humanitarian crisis.

She became an UNHRC Goodwill Ambassador in 2001, working with the UN Refugee Agency in Syria, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Sierra Leone and many other countries.

Watch Angelina Jolie at the sexual violence in war summit in London:

The actress was promoted to the rank of UN Special Envoy to High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres in 2012.

In this role, she is focusing on large-scale crises which result in huge numbers of civilians being forced to flee their home, the UNHCR said. Jolie became the first person to take on such a position within the organization. Speaking about her fight to end sexual violence in conflict she said:

The actress, along with her partner Brad Pitt, has donated over $5 million to the UN Refugee Agency since she became involved in 2001.

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