Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spent the second day of their two-day trip to Jordan visiting organizations focused on humanitarian aid and health support. They toured the World Central Kitchen headquarters and met with cancer patients at the King Hussein Cancer Centre. The visit highlighted efforts to aid vulnerable communities affected by conflict and displacement.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle began the second day of their trip to Jordan by visiting the regional headquarters of the World Central Kitchen, an organization founded by chef Jose Andres that uses field kitchens and partners to feed nearly half the population of Gaza.
The couple learned about the logistical challenges of providing meals to a million Palestinians in Gaza. During a video call with a distribution leader at one of the organization's six field kitchens, they heard that these kitchens produce daily hot meals for around 60% of Gaza's population. Wadhah Hubaishi, the organization's response director for the Middle East and North Africa, explained that ochre and rice was the meal for Thursday. He stated: "This is one of our most delicious meals for the Gaza people. Within two hours, we will start distributing the food. We need 20 trucks (of supplies) every day from Egypt, not enough trucks are coming in, that really affects us more than any other actor."
Mr. Hubaishi described the organization's mantra as "food with smiles" provided by Gazans for Gazans and shared a story of a three-year-old boy who, after eating a banana, asked his father if he could eat the peel.
Later, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex joined a World Health Organization delegation at the national centre for rehabilitation of addicts, aligning with the trip's theme of promoting mental health support.
Their final engagement was at the King Hussein Cancer Centre, Jordan's leading cancer hospital. Meghan, dressed in an all-black outfit with a grey coat, linked arms with Harry as they walked. The Duchess appeared moved during interactions with young cancer patients and their families. She comforted Huda Ramadan Alrhawjara, whose schoolboy son Mohammad experienced a recurrence of leukaemia during the recent Israeli conflict against Hamas in Gaza. Mrs. Alrhawjara, who has been in Jordan for 18 months for her son's treatment, said through tears: "It doesn't matter if it takes four years, what matters is to have him healthy."
Harry embraced a young girl after she shared stories of learning English from Peppa Pig cartoons before her chemotherapy session. Mrs. Alrhawjara added: "I'm really happy that the prince and his wife are really on the side of the families, and that they came to hear our stories, it shows their humanity."
The two-day trip aimed to highlight humanitarian efforts in the region.
