Angelina Jolie is envoy of the UN Refugee Agency
(CNN) -
Angelina Jolie donated an undisclosed sum to two British children who run a lemonade stand to raise money to help people suffering from the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
British schoolchildren Ayaan Moosa and six-year-old Mikaeel Ishaa from East London are best friends and set up the stand to raise money for charity in July after learning of the crisis.
Ayaan Moosa's father, Shakil Moosa, 37, told CNN that the "Maleficent" star contacted the family through an agent three weeks ago.
Jolie offered to make a donation to the cause, which was carried over this weekend.
Jolie also sent a letter to the children, who shared it on Instagram.
In the letter she thanks them for their efforts and apologizes for not being able to be there in person to buy her lemonade.
“It was so amazing.
It is surreal.
It's not just any other star, you're talking about one of the biggest names on the planet, so it's a bit overwhelming, ”Moosa said.
"She is phenomenal," he added.
In a video on Instagram, the children thanked the actress.
Hello Angelina, this is Ayaan.
And I am Mikaeel.
And we are the guys from LemonAid.
We just wanted to thank you for donating to our cause, "they said in the video.
They added that they would be happy to sell you a glass of lemonade the next time you were in London.
View this post on Instagram
Thank you message for @ angelinajolie.offiicial 💙 #yemen #lemonaidboys #yemencrisis #angelinajolie
A post shared by Ayaan & Mikaeel (@lemonaidboys) on Sep 8, 2020 at 7:07 am PDT
Jolie, who is a special envoy for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has previously spoken out about conflict and poverty in the Middle Eastern country, which has been beset by civil unrest for decades.
The civil war in Yemen
Since 2015, a five-year civil war has pitted Houthi rebels against the internationally recognized government, which has been backed by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
Some 112,000 people have died.
It has been estimated that half of Yemen's population is at risk of famine, with millions of people starving, starving or undernourished.
The country has also been affected by the disease.
Tens of thousands of people have contracted cholera, and now there are concerns that it may suffer from one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the world.
When Ayaan and Mikaeel learned about the plight of young children in the country, they wanted to help, Ayaan's father told CNN.
And in that framework they received the donation of Angelina Jolie.
View this post on Instagram
We really are the best of friends 💙💙 #lemonaidboys #yemen #lemon #prayforyemen
A post shared by Ayaan & Mikaeel (@lemonaidboys) on Aug 10, 2020 at 2:45 pm PDT
“They were astonished that people lived like this.
It is the first time in their lives that they have realized that not everyone lives like them, ”Moosa said.
«They were eager to do something (…).
And they decided that any couple of hundred pounds that we made we would donate to a charity, "he added.
The children have helped raise £ 70,000 ($ 90,944) along with joint fundraising efforts from friends and family.
They now hope to raise £ 150,000, Moosa added.
CNN has reached out to representatives for Angelina Jolie for comment on the donation.
CNN's Tim Lister and Sam Kiley contributed to this report.
Angelina Jolie Civil War in Yemen