Actor Orlando Bloom has been involved with UNICEF since 2007 and was made a Goodwill Ambassador in 2009.
Most recently Orlando travelled to Niger to meet children affected by Boko Haram’s violence. UNICEF has increased its assistance to families in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger with access to safe water, education, counselling, vaccines and treatment for malnutrition.
Previous to this, in 2016, his visit to Ukraine raised awareness of the global education crisis facing children in emergencies. As part of this trip he visited a UNICEF-supported centre that provides informal education programmes for children who have fled their homes in conflict-hit areas, such as art classes, games and hairdressing courses. Two years ago there were 3,500 people in this town and only one school and one kindergarten. As the conflict intensified, it swelled to more than 10,000. More than 40 children come to the centre on a daily basis and most of the staff are displaced themselves.
They have suffered unimaginable violence and abuse, they have lost their families, their homes and missed out on years of education.
What these children need most is an end to the violence, and until that is possible, we must do all we can to support them in rebuilding their lives
Orlando Bloom, Goodwill Ambassador
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In 2014 Orlando met Syrian child refugees at Za’atari camp in Jordan who have been affected by the conflict in Syria.
In 2008 he travelled to both Moscow and Sarajevo to learn more about how UNICEF is working to advocate for the rights of children in these countries.
Prior to this in 2007 he visited Nepal to visit schools in the poorest regions of the country. this was his first trip with UNICEF and in 2008 he revisited Nepal to see water and sanitation projects.
Orlando continues to be an advocate for children’s rights around the world.