UN Refugee Agency Appoints Cate Blanchett As Goodwill Ambassador

Cate Blanchett has been appointed a United Nations goodwill ambassador in the hope of raising awareness about the suffering of refugees during the ongoing global crisis.

In a statement the Oscar-winner said she was “deeply proud” of the appointment.

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UN figures revealed that the number of forcibly displayed people in the world reached 59.5 million by the end of 2014 - a record level since the Second World War. Of them, 19.5 million were refugees.

The crisis has not subsided in the time since these figures were released in June 2015.

“There has never been a more crucial time to stand with refugees and show solidarity,“ said Blanchett (via The Guardian). "We are living through an unprecedented crisis, and there must be shared responsibility worldwide.”

“It feels like we’re at a fork in the road, do we go down the compassionate path or do we go down the path of intolerance? As a mother, I want my children to go down the compassionate path.”

Blanchett travelled to Jordan to see first hand the efforts being made to aid refugees displaced by the ongoing conflict in Syria.

Picture Credits: UNHCR / Jordi Matas