Prince William gave a speech as he officially opened a brand new memorial in West London, which honours humanitarian workers who have been killed while carrying out their work in places like Gaza
Prince William has called the killing of aid workers in conflict zones such as Gaza a “cruel affront” to humanitarian principles.
It came as the Prince of Wales gave a speech at the launch of a memorial for humanitarian workers killed on duty at Gunnersbury Park in west London. During the speech, he paid tribute to aid workers who bring “solace in the darkest times” and highlighted their “courage and sacrifice”. However, he told guests at the event, which included staff such as Médecins Sans Frontières and the Mines Advisory Group, as well as bereaved families and survivors of attacks, that “too often, hundreds of humanitarian aid workers around the world are killed while on duty”.
He said that last year, the number of aid workers killed on duty was 385, while this year it has already reached 300. He explained: “Every single one of those deaths is a tragedy. A cruel affront to the international humanitarian principles which must remain sacrosanct.
“One thing that should unite all of us is support and protection for those that seek to help others in the most dire situations. The brave humanitarians that seek to feed and heal innocent people deserve our respect and deserve their safety.
“Humanitarian aid workers bring solace in the darkest of times. We must do more to recognise their service, and more to protect them.” William also urged people to ‘fight’ for aid agencies to be allowed to access those most in need in Gaza and other war-torn areas around the world.
He added: “Around the world, far too many people continue to face unimaginable pain, suffering, and loss, whether through natural disasters or man-made conflict and famine. We are witnesses to the appalling suffering of those who are victims of war and violence from Ukraine to Sudan, from Myanmar to Haiti, and indeed throughout much of the Middle East. And alas, in so many other places.
“Yet, the presence of humanitarian aid workers, like those in Gaza, runs like a thread of shared humanity through even the grimmest of environments. Rather than running away from danger, discomfort, and hunger, these incredibly brave men and women stay behind to bring whatever respite, compassion, and care they can to those who need it the most.
“We must champion and fight for their access to people in the most desperate of circumstances.” Meanwhile, he added that he hoped that the new memorial would “be a place both for quiet contemplation and for education”.
After his speech, William met some attendees, including Sunny La Valle, a humanitarian worker with a nursing background who previously worked for MSF. Ms La Valle, from Hackney in London, was working in Ethiopia when three of her colleagues were killed.
The aid worker, 43, said it was clear after the bodies of Maria Hernandez Matas, Yohannes Halefom Reda and Tedros Gebremariam were examined that her colleagues had been ‘executed’.
The new memorial, formally opened by William, honours all humanitarians who have died in service and celebrates those who continue to put their lives at risk to help others.
Created by British artist Michael Landy and the Humanitarian Memorial Committee, the artwork is a circle of 15 green human-sized figures with spaces allowing visitors to complete the circle by joining hands. The figures bear stories from individuals who have either distributed or received humanitarian aid.
William has long supported aid workers, and met representatives from the British Red Cross and Palestine Red Crescent Society last year to hear about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the wider region – and the impact on staff.