Meghan Markle and Prince Harry issued a statement to supporters on Tuesday, describing themselves as “speechless” and “scared” over the current state of the world, while also offering followers encouragement and ways to help.
“The world is exceptionally fragile right now. As we all feel the many layers of pain due to the situation in Afghanistan, we are left speechless,” the two said in a joint note on their Archewell foundation website.
“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,” they added. “And as we all witness the continuing global health crisis, exacerbated by new variants and constant misinformation, we are left scared.”
The duke and duchess told followers that “though we are not meant to live in a state of suffering, we, as a people, are being conditioned to accept it.”
In order to fight “feeling powerless,” the two encouraged people to take action and listed organizations that provide help to those in need. The note also included mental health resources to help “navigate whatever comes up for you during this critical time.”
“Take care of yourselves, and let’s keep taking care of each other,” the note added.
The message comes one day after the Duke of Sussex issued a statement through his veterans charity, the Invictus Games, as the Taliban swiftly took over Afghanistan. Harry served in the British Army for 10 years and did two tours in Afghanistan.
“What’s happening in Afghanistan resonates across the international Invictus community,” Harry said in the statement, alongside Invictus Games CEO Dominic Reid and Lord Allen of Kensington, chair of the Invictus Games Foundation.
“Many of the participating nations and competitors in the Invictus Games family are bound by a shared experience of serving in Afghanistan over the past two decades, and for several years, we have competed alongside Invictus Games Team Afghanistan.”
“We encourage everybody across the Invictus network — and the wider military community — to reach out to each other and offer support for one another,” the statement added.
Also on Monday, Queen Elizabeth sent a “message of condolences” to the prime minister of Haiti, following the devastating earthquake that claimed over a thousand lives so far.
The queen said she was “deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life and destruction caused by the earthquake in Haiti.”
“My thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost their lives, loved ones and homes, as well as the emergency services working in the recovery effort,” she added.
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