Prince Harry Releases Statement to Veterans Amid Taliban Takeover of Afghanistan
Prince Harry has a message for veterans. In a joint statement issued this week, the 36-year-old Duke of Sussex, the Chair of the Invictus Games Foundation Lord Allen, and Invictus Games CEO Dominic Reid addressed the Taliban rule taking hold in Afghanistan.
Prince Harry founded the Invictus Games Foundation in 2014 to help wounded servicemen and women in the United Kingdom and around the world "harness the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding and respect for those who serve their country."
"What's happening in Afghanistan resonates across the international Invictus community," begins the statement, which was shared on the Invictus Games' Twitter. "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."
The statement concluded, "We encourage everybody across the Invictus network -- and the wider military community -- to reach out to each other and offer support for one another."
On behalf of the @weareinvictus community on the unfolding events in Afghanistan: pic.twitter.com/djvQnWxekP
— Invictus Games Foundation 💛🖤 (@WeAreInvictus) August 16, 2021
Harry himself served in the British Army for 10 years, including two tours in Afghanistan.
Over the past few days, the Taliban have taken control of Afghanistan for the first time in 20 years as the United States military continued its planned withdrawal. The militant group has taken over major cities, causing many to attempt to flee the country, including Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani.
On Tuesday, Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, also released a joint statement through their Archewell Foundation about the situation in Afghanistan, the earthquake and tropical storm in Haiti, and the continued COVID-19 pandemic.
"As we all feel the many layers of pain due to the situation in Afghanistan, we are left speechless," read the couple's statement. "When any person or community suffers, a piece of each of us does so with them, whether we realize it or not."
The pair encouraged others to "join us in supporting a number or organizations doing critical work."
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan have written a statement on the current state of the world in light of the situation in Afghanistan and humanitarian disaster in Haiti.
“As an international community, it is the decisions we make now… that will prove our humanity,” they share. pic.twitter.com/afRhLk9h2S— Omid Scobie (@scobie) August 17, 2021
The couple's Archewell Foundation also released a list of suggested ways to offer support.
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