Pavarotti sings for Afghan refugees

MODENA, Italy -- Stars from the music world joined opera star Luciano Pavarotti for a charity concert in aid of Afghan refugees.

The world-famous Italian tenor dedicated his eighth "Pavarotti and Friends" concert to the plight faced by millions of Afghan asylum seekers, driven from their homes by drought and civil war to shelter in the neighbouring country of Pakistan.

A choir of 30 Afghan children flown in directly from the camps in north-west Pakistan accompanied Pavarotti -- an ambassador for the United Nations -- on stage during the show, which was broadcast nationally.

Actor Michael Douglas and his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones headed a star-studded list of visitors including designer Donatella Versace and footballer Gabriel Batistuta.

Douglas, also an ambassador for the U.N., opened the evening with an appeal for Afghans, saying if Pakistan could stretch its resources to host thousands of asylum seekers, the rest of the world should be able to help.

VIDEO CNN's Alessio Vinci has more on the all-star concert for Afghan refugees (May 29) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

Welsh singer Tom Jones and American blues star Barry White topped a host of stars from the world of rock, pop and jazz -- including Anastasia, George Benson and Deep Purple -- who joined the opera star on stage.

Jones, introduced by Oscar-nominated actress Zeta-Jones, treated the crowd to his recent hit "Sex Bomb", and joined Pavarotti for a duet version of "Delilah."

The Italian also joined White in a duet of "You're my First, My Last, My Everything." British band Morcheeba had to restart their rendition of "Rome Wasn't Built in a Day" when they and the Pavarotti orchestra fell out of time.

In his "Pavarotti and Friends" concert series, the celebrity tenor has collaborated with stars such as Sting, the Spice Girls and Celine Dion and has raised millions of pounds for the victims of war from countries that include the Falklands, Liberia and Tibet.

With the help of Hollywood stars Douglas and Zeta-Jones, concert organisers say the show should raise $1.5 million in ticket sales and donations.

"It's the amount of talent that gets together for one night … Pavarotti is an inspiration. People do forget, we all go on with our lives, and we forget this is one of the ongoing, one of the biggest crises right now," said Zeta-Jones.

The U.N. High Commission for Refugees say the money will be used to finance two assistance projects for Afghan women and children in the refugee camps.

"Children are abandoned, they are destroyed from this war all over the world. Afghanistan is 10 years the war is there … you should see how they live," Pavarotti said.

Douglas said the plans were to build about 20 schools "because illiteracy is a big issue, big problem, and a couple of medical centres."

The Oscar-winning actor was again on hand to present the U.N. Nansen Refugee Award to Pavarotti in recognition of his work in aid of refugees worldwide.

Driven from their homes by the worst drought in memory and a ruthless civil war, 2 million of an estimated 3.6 million Afghan refugees -- who the U.N. describes as the world's largest refugee population -- have sought shelter in camps in northwest Pakistan.

More than 200,000 refugees have arrived in Pakistan since September, itself an impoverished nation whose military administration has now refused new asylum seekers.