Harry and Meghan left 'speechless' by Taliban takeover of Afghanistan
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have spoken of the pain that has been caused by the dramatic events in Afghanistan which have left the Taliban in charge two decades after the operation to force them out of power.
Prince Harry and Meghan issued a statement through their Archewell Foundation website to reflect on the rapid change to life for Afghan people – particularly the women there – describing the world as “exceptionally fragile right now”.
It had left them “speechless” the couple said.
Prince Harry spent two tours of duty in Afghanistan with the British Army and was also moved to set up the Invictus Games tournament for wounded service men and women after he flew to the UK from the frontline on a military transport plane carrying home the dead and injured.
The Sussexes also reflected on the earthquake in Haiti which has so far killed 1,500 people.
They said the growing humanitarian disaster there had left them “heartbroken”.
Harry and Meghan also said the spread of new Covid-19 variants and the misinformation surrounding the coronavirus vaccine meant they were “left scared”.
They urged world leaders to act when they meet at the upcoming G20 leaders’ summit and the UN General Assembly.
The Duke and Duchess said: “As an international community, it is the decisions we make now — to alleviate suffering among those we know and those we may never meet — that will prove our humanity.”
Harry and Meghan said they wanted to do what they could to “meet the moment” to offer support to the military community.
Harry has a number of links with veteran organisations and maintains a strong tie with former soldiers, sailors and air force personnel who served in the British Armed Forces.
Harry was an Apache helicopter co-pilot on his second tour of Afghanistan.
“We can put our values into action – together”, Harry and Meghan wrote and they urged their supporters to direct their time and resources to various organisations.
One of them was World Central Kitchen, a charity which already has teams on the ground to feed those affected by the Haiti earthquake.
On the fight against coronavirus, the couple mentioned the Vax Live campaign for vaccine equity and the anti-poverty campaign group Global Citizen.
Harry and Meghan wrote: “We recognise that many of you may feel helpless right now as you watch the state of the world spin rapidly.
"It can feel disorienting and defeating, but we have faith in the power of shared purpose, action, and commitment to our collective well-being.”