Meghan Markle and Prince Harry visit the Specialty Hospital in Amman, Jordan.Credit : Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty

NEED TO KNOW

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry visited with medical evacuees from Gaza and refugees from Syria during a surprise trip to Jordan this week
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex partnered with the World Health Organization (WHO) on their trip
The aim of the two-day visit was to spotlight humanitarian efforts and mental health support in the region for vulnerable communities affected by conflict and displacement

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced a surprise visit to Jordan this week, aimed at humanitarian efforts and mental health support for vulnerable communities affected by conflict and displacement.

On Wednesday, Feb. 25, after visiting the Za’atari Refugee Camp — the world’s largest refugee camp for displaced Syrians — the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent time with medical evacuees from Gaza at the Specialty Hospital in Amman.

Meghan looked emotional as she met a teenager with shattered legs, who was on his way to collect humanitarian food for his family when he was shot in his legs and evacuated from Gaza to receive care in Jordan. She told Jaber, 17, whose legs were held in place by a metal frame: “I’m so glad you’re getting the treatment that you need.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also met 14-year-old Maria, from Gaza, who was suffering from PTSD after an explosion killed six members of her family, including her parents. She was left with severe burns to her legs, which resulted in the toes on her right foot being amputated.

Meghan crouched down to talk to the teenager, and Harry looked pained when her blanket was removed to show them her foot, with her permission. She was at the hospital to have her dressings replaced under anaesthetic.

Harry and Meghan partnered with the World Health Organization (WHO) on their trip, with a goal of spotlighting how Jordan is leading the way in humanitarian response for victims and evacuees from multiple conflicts in the Middle East. The work is closely aligned with the couple’s long-standing focus, as their nonprofit, Archewell Philanthropies, has helped fund medical evacuations for children affected by the conflict in Gaza. They have also supported relief efforts for children and families affected by the Oct. 7 attack in Israel.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry with a burn victim from Gaza.Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty

Meghan and Harry “are pro-family and pro-children, and their philanthropic work reflects this value and deep-rooted care for humanity,” the source says.

Harry, 41, and Meghan, 44, announced their trip to Jordan just a day before their arrival. PEOPLE understands that the humanitarian visit, focused on global aid and mental health support, is not on behalf of the U.K. government, but that the royal family had been informed of their plans.

Meghan Markle in Jordan.Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty

The visit is, however, a reunion of sorts for Harry, Meghan and Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO. The trio previously teamed up in 2021 to author an open letter calling for leaders at the G20 Summit to expand vaccine access in low-income nations. That same year, they also co-hosted an event at the UN General Assembly aimed at promoting vaccine equity.

On the second day of their visit Jordan, Harry and Meghan plan to join WHO delegations to visit hospitals treating medical evacuees, tour centers for the rehabilitation of addicts and cancer treatment and meet with female leaders at the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in Jordan.Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty

They will also continue their longstanding work with World Central Kitchen by visiting its office in Amman. World Central Kitchen was founded by chef José Andrés and was the first philanthropic partner of the couple’s charitable organization, Archewell Philanthropies

The Jordan visit marks Harry and Meghan’s first official international trip since 2024. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex last undertook similar visits to Nigeria in May 2024 and Colombia in August 2024, following their step back from royal duties in the U.K. in 2020.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in Jordan.Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty

The trip comes amid major turmoil within the royal family, following the Feb. 19 arrest of Prince Harry’s uncle, the former Prince Andrew. The arrest, on suspicion of misconduct in public office, is the continued fallout from Andrew’s relationship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The investigation centers around a claim that the disgraced former Duke of York shared confidential information with Epstei​​n while serving as a trade envoy for the U.K. in the 2000s. He was held by police for around 11 hours before being released under investigation.

Following the arrest, an insider spoke PEOPLE about the comparisons some continue to make between Andrew — who was stripped of his royal duties, titles, and even his longtime Windsor home due to the fallout over newly-released Epstein evidence — and Harry, who stepped back from royal life in the U.K. in 2020 and moved with Meghan and his family to Montecito, Calif., where they have embarked on their own creative and philanthropic projects.

“He was frustrated by the comparisons. It was never fair to lump them together,” the insider said. “Harry served his country, did the job well and never engaged in misconduct — yet lost security and housing, while Andrew was protected for years.”

Harry’s reaction to Andrew’s arrest would be consistent with his long-held belief in “justice and accountability — that’s very much in line with his character,” the source continued, noting his multiple court cases in recent years against the U.K. tabloid press