UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- The World Food Program says it is almost as pleased as the actors nominated for Hollywood's top award, the Oscars.
The U.N. agency said Wednesday Academy Award nominations were received by Djimon Hounsou and Penelope Cruz who have recorded public service announcements and undertaken other work to champion the cause of WFP.
Hounsou received a nomination as best supporting actor for his role in the film "Blood Diamond," in which he portrays a father searching for his son during Sierra Leone's civil war of the 1990s.
While shooting the film in Africa, Hounsou and his co-star Jennifer Connelly recorded a WFP public service announcement for screening on television channels, websites and in cinemas around the world.
The film also includes scenes depicting aid operations similar to those undertaken by the WFP.
The U.N. food agency's communications director Neil Gallagher thanked Hounsou for "helping WFP to raise awareness about the millions of people who suffer every day from hunger caused by war and bloodshed."
Cruz earned a best actress nomination for her performance in "Volver," playing a mother trying to protect her teenage daughter.
In 2005 she recorded a public service announcement and a corporate video for WFP. She has also worked as a volunteer in Uganda and formed her own non-governmental organization to help homeless girls and tuberculosis sufferers in India.
