The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will travel to the Middle East today and tomorrow, embarking upon another ‘royal tour’. On February 25 and 26, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will visit Jordan to join the Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
It follows a joint engagement between Prince Harry and the Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom, who also met last September. The pair highlighted pioneering research at Imperial College London’s Centre for Blast Injury Studies, and focused on the growing need for international action to support civilians impacted by conflict-related injuries.
The Office of Prince Harry and Meghan stated the pair aim to support the organisation’s efforts to spotlight Jordan’s leadership efforts in helping medical evacuations for children affected by the conflict in Gaza.
Thousands of children have been killed or injured in Gaza. Many suffer life-altering injuries, including amputations, often with limited access to proper medical care.
Food shortages have led to rising malnutrition rates, particularly among young children and infants. According to an IPC report, at least 1.6 million people are still facing high levels of acute food insecurity in the Gaza Strip, including over 100 000 children and 37,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women, according to WHO.
The royal couple also plan to visit to the regional headquarters of World Central Kitchen, from where the organisation coordinates and deploys food and humanitarian assistance into Gaza.
The Duke and Duchess’s tour will also include a visit to Questscope at the Za’atari Refugee Camp, which is home to displaced Syrians.
The two-day programme reflects a shared commitment by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the World Health Organisation
to strengthen international cooperation on humanitarian health response, mental health provision, and long-term
recovery for communities affected by conflict.