The Duke of Sussex has praised the “amazing” efforts of Ukrainians working for a landmine clearing charity in their homeland.
Harry held a video call with two women who have made the decision to stay in Ukraine with the Halo Trust which has been clearing military ordnance in the eastern European country since 2016.
The duke, who is a supporter of Halo and has seen first-hand their operations in countries such as Angola, told the workers: “I know that you’re going to keep doing the work that’s so desperately needed, for Halo, for your families and for your country.
“Thank you for being so brave and being so amazing – and well done. Keep doing what your doing, keep saving lives.”
His Archewell Foundation has made donations to a number of groups working on the ground to provide aid to Ukrainians, including Halo.
It has also financially helped Are We Europe, an organisation which is supporting a coalition of Ukrainian media as they provide accurate, critical information to Ukrainians and the world.
At the start of the conflict Harry and his wife Meghan said they and their foundation stood with the people of Ukraine against “this breach of international and humanitarian law” and encouraged the global community and its leaders to do the same.
The duke met virtually Olesia, a 23-year-old from Kharkiv and Halo’s communications manager in Ukraine, who was forced to flee her home with her family in early March and has found temporary refuge in a hotel with her parents and sister in the south-west of the country.
He also chatted to Maryna, 25, the organisation’s monitoring and evaluation officer who supported colleagues at Halo’s Ukraine headquarters helping refugees and casualties.
Many of the organisation’s staff are trained as first responders and are using ambulances equipped with trauma kits and medical supplies to support the needs of the civilian population.
Founded in Afghanistan in 1988, Halo now employs 10,000 men and women in 28 countries and territories either at war or recovering from conflict and was famously supported by Diana, Princess of Wales.
