Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are speaking out about the state of the world.
In a message shared from the website of their nonprofit organization Archewell on Aug. 17, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex addressed the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, the 7.2-magnitude earthquake in Haiti and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
"The world is exceptionally fragile right now," the couple said in a statement. "As we all feel the many layers of pain due to the situation in Afghanistan, we are left speechless. 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. And as we all witness the continuing global health crisis, exacerbated by new variants and constant misinformation, we are left scared."
Harry and Meghan then called for people to take action and help where they can.
"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."
For instance, they asked for people to join them in "supporting a number of organizations doing critical work" and urged "those in positions of global influence to rapidly advance the humanitarian dialogues that are expected to take place this fall at multilateral gatherings such as the U.N. General Assembly and the G20 Leaders' Summit."
"As an international community," Harry and Meghan added, "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."
The Archewell Team then outlined its commitment. "Like many of you, we are closely watching the crises happening across the world right now, and we are heartbroken," the organization stated. "Archewell is committed to putting our values into action, and we hope to do what we can to meet the moment by offering support to the military community and the troops who served in Afghanistan, as well as to the Afghan people facing violence and terror."
Furthermore, it noted it's supporting the emergency response in Haiti through World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit that provides relief efforts and meals to people in need. In addition, Archewell expressed its dedication to vaccine equity, the fight against misinformation and its partnerships with Vax Live and Global Citizen.
At the bottom of its website, Archewell listed information for several organizations, including World Central Kitchen, Women for Afghan Women, Afghanaid, Mercy Corps and Invictus.
"We recognize that many of you may feel helpless right now as you watch the state of the world spin rapidly," it wrote. "It can feel disorienting and defeating, but we have faith in the power of shared purpose, action, and commitment to our collective well-being."
In addition, it provided resources people can turn to for their own mental health. "Take care of yourselves," Archewell concluded, "and let's keep taking care of each other."
Harry also shared a statement via the official Twitter account of the Invictus Games Foundation, of which he is founder and patron. As noted on its website, "The Invictus Games use the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding and respect for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women."
"What's happening in Afghanistan resonates across the international Invictus community," Harry, who conducted two tours of duty to Afghanistan during his 10 years with the British Army, said in a joint statement along with CEO Dominic Reid and chairman Lord Allen of Kensington on Aug. 16. "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."