Events In Afghanistan & Haiti Leave The Sussexes “Heartbroken”

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have become some of the first members of the royal family to speak out on crises unfolding in Afghanistan and Haiti. In a statement issued Tuesday through their Archewell Foundation, the couple said the Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan and the deadly earthquake in Haiti had left them feeling “heartbroken” and “speechless.” The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also urged others to join them in supporting some of the organizations working to help those impacted by recent events.

“As we all feel the many layers of pain due to the situation in Afghanistan, we are left speechless,” a message from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and shared via the Archewell Foundation website read. “As we all watch the growing humanitarian disaster in Haiti, and the threat of it worsening after last weekend’s earthquake, we are left heartbroken.”

Recent events in Afghanistan may have hit particularly close to home for Prince Harry, who served two tours of duty in Afghanistan during his 10 years with the British Army. The Sussexes also noted new variants of the coronavirus and the continued spread of misinformation had exacerbated the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in ways that left them, and others, scared. “The world is exceptionally fragile right now,” they concluded.

“When any person or community suffers, a piece of each of us does so with them, whether we realize it or not,” they continued. “And though we are not meant to live in a state of suffering, we, as a people, are being conditioned to accept it. It’s easy to find ourselves feeling powerless, but we can put our values into action — together.”

They urged world leaders and other influential figureheads to “rapidly advance” humanitarian talks expected to occur later in the year at events such as the G20 Summit and the United Nations General Assembly. After sharing their own commitment and support of organizations like World Central Kitchen, an organization aiding recovery efforts in Haiti, Markle and Prince Harry encouraged others to support humanitarian aid groups’ vital work.

Along with World Central Kitchen, the Sussexes also recommended supporting Mercy Corps to aid recovery and humanitarian efforts in Haiti. To help Afghan families currently in crisis, Markle and Prince Harry recommended supporting Women for Afghan Women and Afghanaid.

“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,” they said.