Meghan Markle ‘in tears’ as she comforts teen with ‘shattered legs’ throughout Middle East journey
Meghan Markle was seen on the verge of tears after meeting a teen with severely injured legs who was evacuated from Gaza for urgent medical attention in Jordan.
During a tour of the Middle East with husband Prince Harry, the Duchess of Sussex told Jaber, whose legs were supported by a metal frame: “I’m so glad you’re getting the treatment that you need”, during his assessment at the private Specialty Hospital in Amman.
The Sussexes are currently on a two-day trip to Jordan to gain insight into the humanitarian efforts supporting the health and wellbeing of Syrians and Palestinians who have sought refuge in Jordan over the years.
Dr Hamzeh Odeh, the emergency department manager at Specialty Hospital, remarked after the visit: “This is what you expect from war, they’re war injuries. But some of the injuries are not directly related to the war, it’s because of the lack of doctors, lack of medication.”
On their first day in Jordan, Harry and Meghan shared a lighter moment, joining young girls for a football skills session at the Za’atari refugee camp, home to tens of thousands of Syrians who fled conflict in their country, until recently under the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.
Children and young people requiring medical care following the recent conflict in Gaza, between Israel and terror group Hamas, are being evacuated under the “Jordanian Medical Corridor” scheme announced last year by Jordan’s King Abdullah.
Dr Odeh stated that ambulances from his hospital were periodically evacuating patients from Gaza, picking them up from the Israeli border.
Speaking about the Sussexes’ visit, he said: “It encourages us first of all, and it’s a message for us – they have a very beautiful touch of humanity and its affects us. We take it as appreciation from them to come and say ‘thank you’ for our work – it’s like a very good push forward.”
The couple’s visit had the air of an official royal tour despite the Sussexes stepping down as working members of the monarchy and relocating to America with their family in 2020 for personal and financial freedom.
Meghan and Harry underwent three outfit changes as they swapped a smart casual look, donned for the round-table discussion at the WHO’s offices, for more relaxed attire for the refugee camp visit, before dressing more formally for the hospital tour.
They also visited a youth centre at the Za’atari Refugee Camp, operated by the social development organisation Questscope.
A member of the Questscope staff asked the little girl “You know Meghan?” but she promptly walked away. The duchess responded with a smile: “So sweet, so confident – that’s what you’re instilling.”
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