Iraq, Syria Latest News: Angelina Jolie Shocked By Worsening Plight Of Displaced Iraqis, Syrian Refugees

Hollywood star Angelina Jolie flew to Iraq on Sunday to meet Syrian refugees and displaced Iraqi citizens and was saddened that the situation has worsened since her last visit.

Jolie's trip was part of her role as special envoy of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

"It is shocking to see how the humanitarian situation in Iraq has deteriorated since my last visit. On top of large numbers of Syrian refugees, two million Iraqis were displaced by violence in 2014 alone. Many of these innocent people have been uprooted multiple times as they seek safety amidst shifting frontlines," said Jolie who first visited Iraq in September 2012.

According to the UNHCR, there are 3.3 million displaced families in Iraq.

Jolie visited the displaced Iraqis on Sunday in their informal settlement and camp in Dohuk City. The two sites accommodate about 20,000 people from the Yazidi minority who were targeted by the Islamic State.

The actress heard stories from the people about their escape and met elderly women who were part of the 196 Yazidis released by ISIS militants.

The women told Joli about their kidnapping, detention, escape and release.

"Nothing can prepare you for the horrific stories of these survivors of kidnap, abuse and exploitation and to see how they cannot all get the urgent help they need and deserve," Jolie said. "The needs so dramatically outstrip the resources available in this vast crisis. Much more international assistance is needed."

UNHCR said lack of funding has affected the programs aimed at helping the families. It said it only received 53 percent of the required $337 million for the displaced Iraqis in 2014 and received only 31 percent of the $556 million needed for this year.

With the Kurdistan region of Iraq hosting 900,000 displaced people, this puts a strain on resources, she said.

"I am very thankful to the Kurdish authorities for hosting so many displaced Iraqis alongside Syrian refugees at a time when they are facing so many challenges," Jolie said.

She also visited the Domiz camp, which has more than 50,000 Syrian refugees.

"Too many innocent people are paying the price of the conflict in Syria and spread of extremism. I express my deepest sympathy to the family of Haruna Yukawa, the Japanese hostage reportedly murdered in Syria on Saturday, and to all the families and victims of these vile and extreme acts," she said.

More than 3.8 million Syrians, the UNHCR said, have fled to Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt and another 7.6 million Syrians have been displaced in their country. An estimated 3.1 million Iraqis have been displaced in their county.