The Prince of Wales paid a visit to the British Red Cross in London on the heels of a strongly-worded message about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East in which he said “Too many have been killed.”
Kensington Palace had shared earlier in the day that William would visit the British Red Cross to learn about their operations in the Middle East and to hear from humanitarian aid workers, both in person and via video link from Gaza, about the conflict.
William met with Béatrice Butsana-Sita, the British Red Cross Chief Executive, and Liz Padmore, the board chair; and received briefings from both those who know the particulars of the Gaza operations as well as from the psycho-social team, which provides “mental health support to those who are enduring trauma and suffering around the world,” according to Kensington Palace.
Appearing via video link was Pascal Hundt, a senior crisis manager on the ground in Gaza, who told William how a lack of supplies could lead to hospitals becoming cemeteries and how looting was rampant in the area due to hunger, leading to troubles distributing relief.
In a statement on the British Red Cross’s website, Butsana-Sita said of William’s visit: “The Royal Family have showed enduring support for our work both here in the UK and around the world. We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to speak to His Royal Highness about the humanitarian crisis in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the response of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement.”
William also met with workers at the facilities on their lunch break, and said that “As long as you’re looking after yourselves well, keep it positive,” about taking care of themselves despite how heavy the work is.
On social media, Kensington Palace revealed that William’s visit with the British Red Cross was “the first of two visits over the next few weeks to learn more about the human impact of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.”
Coinciding with his visit to the British Red Cross, Kensington Palace released a statement from William in which he said: “I, like so many others, want to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible. There is a desperate need for increased humanitarian support to Gaza. It’s critical that aid gets in and the hostages are released.
“Sometimes it is only when faced with the sheer scale of human suffering that the importance of permanent peace is brought home.
“Even in the darkest hour, we must not succumb to the counsel of despair. I continue to cling to the hope that a brighter future can be found and I refuse to give up on that.”
