Film stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have donated $1m (£506,000) to help children affected by the war in Iraq.

 

The Education Partnership for Children of Conflict will distribute the donation, made through the Hollywood couple's Jolie-Pitt Foundation.

The money will be distributed among four organizations working on behalf of children, both in Iraq and the US, who have lost parents during the conflict.

"We hope to encourage others to give to these great organizations," said Pitt.

'Healing'

Approximately half the money will pay for basic necessities, including books and supplies to help send Iraqi children to school. Aid will also go to refugee children and to school rehabilitation projects.

The remaining $500,000 will go to help children in the United States who have a lost a parent during the fighting in Iraq, or who are separated from a parent stationed in the country.

The celebrity couple, who are expecting twins in August, have donated millions of dollars to charity over the years.

Jolie, 33, has long been an advocate for refugees and is a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

"These educational support programs for children of conflict are the best way to help them heal," said Jolie, who also co-chairs the Education Partnership for Children of Conflict.