ANGELINA JOLIE - ANGELINA JOLIE VISITS IRAQ

ANGELINA JOLIE VISITS IRAQ

Angelina Jolie has taken a surprise trip to Iraq as part of her role as a United Nations (UN) goodwill ambassador.

The Tomb Raider star - renowned for her humanitarian work - has travelled to Baghdad to raise awareness of the two million people displaced by ongoing conflict in the wartorn region.

Speaking to CNN, the actress called for more action to address the displacement crisis caused by Sunni-Shiite sectarian violence.

"There are over two million displaced people and there never seems to be a real coherent plan to help them," she said.

"There's lots of goodwill and lots of discussion but there seems to be a lot of talk at the moment and a lot of pieces that need to be put together.

"Of the two million internally displaced, it's estimated 58 per cent are under 12 years old. It's a very high number of people in a very, very vulnerable situation and a lot of young kids."

This visit - Jolie's second trip to the region as part of her work for the UN High Commission for Refugees - also included a meeting with US security officials, including General David Petraeus, the US military representative in Iraq.

"How Iraq settles in the years to come is going to affect the entire Middle East," she explained. "It's in our best interest to address a humanitarian crisis on this scale because displacement can lead to a lot of instability and aggression."

The Oscar-winning actress - recently awarded a performance prize for her role as Marianne Pearl, the wife of beheaded journalist Daniel - has called for an escalation in US efforts to resettle Iraqi refugees displaced by the violence.