We cannot let these children become a lost generation: Priyanka Chopra on World Refugee Day

Los Angeles, June 21

Actor Priyanka Chopra made a passionate appeal for refugee children saying the world could not lose an entire generation of kids to violence and displacement.

On World Refugee Day (June 20), the 35-year-old star, who is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, pledged her support to the kids who have been forced to flee their homes.

In a video shared by UNICEF on Facebook, Chopra said besides being stripped of their basic necessities, these children had also been robbed of hope.

“More than 22 million of these are children under the age of 18. They don’t just lose family members, friends and everything they know and love. They lose the protection of their most basic rights that are a necessity for every child.

“Many suffer without food, shelter, health and education and fundamentally, these children lose complete hope for their future. We cannot let these refugee children become a lost generation whose entire lives will be shaped by violence, displacement and lack of opportunities. The world needs to care. We need to care,” the ‘Quantico’ star said.

Chopra, who has travelled to refugee camps in Jordan and more recently in Bangladesh, also shared a video on Instagram urging the world to extend their support to these children.

“...Right now there are more than 65 million people around the world that have been forcibly displaced from their homes. I’ve met a few of these children in both Jordan and Bangladesh. Many told me stories of lost family members and friends. Many suffer without adequate food, shelter, health and education.

“All the stories are heartbreaking. On #WorldRefugeeDay, I’m supporting @unicef’s goal to protect the rights of refugee children. No matter where they come from #AChildIsAChild and they deserve the right to a childhood,” she captioned the video. PTI