Prince Harry Expresses Gratitude to HALO Trust Workers in Ukraine
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, participated in a heartfelt video call on Friday with HALO Trust charity workers who are actively clearing explosives on the front lines in Ukraine. During the emotional exchange, the 41-year-old royal offered words of encouragement and praise to key workers Olesia and Maryn, urging them to 'keep doing what you're doing' as they carry out their vital, life-saving missions.
A Legacy of Humanitarian Work
The prince has served as a patron of the HALO Trust since 2019, but his support for their cause dates back to 2011. Over the years, he has collaborated with the organisation to diffuse and clear landmines across various global conflict zones. This dedication mirrors the humanitarian legacy of his late mother, Princess Diana, who was a patron of the same organisation. In a historic moment in January 1997, Princess Diana famously walked across a minefield in Angola to raise awareness about the dangers of landmines.
Addressing the Crisis in Ukraine
Recently, Prince Harry has focused on raising awareness about explosive safety in Ukraine, a nation currently embroiled in a devastating war with Russia. During the video call, he inquired about how Olesia and Maryn have been coping with the recent shelling and ongoing hostilities. The workers described a profoundly challenging situation, stating that 'life has turned upside down' and they feel trapped in a 'nightmare'.
'Life has turned upside down for the last two weeks,' they explained. 'Sometimes it seems to me that this is just a nightmare and I'm going to wake up soon.'
In response, Prince Harry offered strong encouragement, saying, 'I mean, you guys are saving lives every single day. I know you're part of HALO, so that's exactly what you signed up to do, and I know that you're going to continue doing the work that is so desperately needed for HALO, for your families and your country.'
Continuing the Mission in Angola
Prince Harry's commitment to the HALO Trust extends beyond Ukraine. Last year, he travelled to Angola to complete a symbolic landmine walk, echoing his mother's footsteps from nearly three decades earlier. He had previously walked a minefield in the country back in 2013, an area that has since been transformed into safe land thanks to clearance efforts by Angolan men and women trained by HALO.
This work aligns with the Angolan government's 2019 pledge of £46 million to create wildlife corridors and protect endangered species in conservation areas. The nation has also set an ambitious target to clear all landmines by 2025, a goal Prince Harry hopes his involvement will help advance.
The Scale of the Challenge
Since 1994, HALO has cleared more than 123,000 landmines, working tirelessly to convert former war zones into productive farmland, national parks, and secure villages. Despite this significant progress, over 1,000 minefields still remain across Angola. The country's history is marred by a two-decade civil war that left it contaminated with more than 15 million landmines, a context that made Princess Diana's 1997 walk during a brief period of peace so historically poignant.
Princess Diana's iconic images, wearing a HALO Trust flak jacket and helmet, remain etched in public memory, especially given her tragic death later that same year. The human cost of landmines in Angola is staggering, with at least 60,000 people killed or injured since 2008, though the actual number is likely much higher.
A Broader Advocacy Role
Prince Harry's video call with HALO Trust workers follows his recent emotional appearance in Los Angeles, where he fought back tears while speaking with families whose children had died after using social media. Alongside his wife Meghan, he praised these families for 'telling your stories over and over again' and expressed hopes for 'truth, justice and accountability' in relation to the mental health effects of platforms like Instagram and YouTube.
This advocacy work connects to his own recent court battles concerning security and media claims, highlighting his ongoing commitment to various humanitarian and social justice causes on a global scale.
