Prince Harry and Meghan launch surprise visit to meet Gaza refugees in Jordan

Key points

• Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have begun a two-day humanitarian visit to Jordan focused on refugees affected by the Gaza conflict.
• The trip, organised in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), includes meetings with Gaza medical evacuees and frontline health and mental health teams in Amman.
• The visit is taking place on 25–26 February 2026, centred mainly in the Jordanian capital and nearby humanitarian sites.
• The couple will visit projects they have supported that help evacuate and treat children injured in the war in Gaza.
• They are also expected to tour refugee camps and World Central Kitchen’s regional hub, which coordinates food aid deliveries into Gaza.
• The trip is not an official royal tour, as the Sussexes stepped back from royal duties in 2020, but has drawn significant international attention.
• Their presence is intended to highlight worsening food insecurity, trauma and long-term health needs among people displaced by conflict in Gaza and the wider region.

Prince Harry and Meghan begin two-day humanitarian visit to Jordan

Prince Harry and Meghan have started a two-day humanitarian programme in Jordan, meeting Gaza medical evacuees, health workers and aid organisations in a visit aimed at drawing attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis affecting refugees from the conflict in Gaza. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are undertaking the trip in partnership with the World Health Organization and other international charities, focusing on health, mental health and support for vulnerable communities displaced by war.

Sussexes arrive in Amman for WHO‑backed visit

The couple arrived in Amman at the start of the week, where they were received at WHO facilities and briefed on current medical and humanitarian operations linked to Gaza. According to Town & Country, their office has said the aim of the visit is to “listen, learn and help spotlight effective humanitarian efforts” in the region.

Their programme is being carried out alongside WHO Director‑General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, with whom they have previously worked on vaccine equity and blast‑injury research initiatives. The visit is centred in the Jordanian capital but also includes travel to refugee and aid facilities outside Amman.

Meetings with Gaza medical evacuees and health workers

During the two days, Prince Harry and Meghan are due to meet Palestinians who have been medically evacuated from Gaza to Jordan for treatment. Reporting by Tony Jones of the Press Association states that the couple will visit programmes they have helped fund, which facilitate the transfer and care of injured children from Gaza.

They will hold roundtable discussions with Jordanian officials, senior health leaders, WHO staff and partner organisations on the health response to the conflict. According to coverage in InStyle, the itinerary includes site visits to frontline health and mental health services treating trauma, blast injuries and long‑term psychological impacts on civilians displaced by fighting.

Focus on mental health, trauma and food insecurity

Mental health support and trauma recovery are central themes of the visit, reflecting the Sussexes’ long‑standing advocacy in this area. Their schedule includes engagements at facilities providing psychological care and community‑based support to refugees affected by conflict and displacement.

Town & Country reported that the couple chose to travel now because they believe the effects of food insecurity in Gaza are intensifying while international attention risks waning. The programme therefore also highlights nutrition, basic health services and longer‑term rehabilitation needs for people uprooted by the war.

Visits to refugee camps and food aid operations

A key stop on the trip is expected to be the Za’atari refugee camp, one of the region’s largest sites hosting people displaced by war. While Za’atari mainly shelters Syrians, the visit is intended to underscore wider regional challenges around displacement, trauma and the strain on host communities and services.

The Sussexes will also visit the regional headquarters of World Central Kitchen in Amman, where food and humanitarian assistance bound for Gaza is organised. According to reports in the Mirror and other outlets, staff there will brief the couple on logistics, security constraints and efforts to maintain regular deliveries into the territory.

Not an official royal tour

Although some commentators have described the trip as a “royal tour”, the visit is not an official engagement on behalf of the British Royal Family. Prince Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and now conduct overseas work through their own foundation and partnerships with international organisations.

Outlets including the Express and Hello! magazine have highlighted that the journey coincides with a period of heightened scrutiny of the Royal Family in the UK, but the couple’s office has framed the trip as a continuation of their existing humanitarian focus rather than a political intervention. Any broader political impact of the visit has yet to become clear, and this information could not be independently verified.

Existing collaboration with WHO and aid agencies

The Jordan programme builds on previous collaboration between Prince Harry, Meghan and the WHO on issues such as vaccine equity and blast injuries in conflict zones. In September, Harry joined Dr Tedros at Imperial College London’s Centre for Blast Injury Studies, where they met researchers and announced donations to organisations supporting injured children from Gaza and Ukraine.

The Sussexes have also worked with World Central Kitchen on disaster‑relief kitchens and community hubs in other parts of the world, and they are expected to receive updates on those wider efforts while in Amman. According to The News, sources close to the couple describe their philanthropic work as “pro‑family and pro‑children”, though this characterisation has not been independently assessed.

Regional refugee context in Jordan

Jordan has for decades hosted large numbers of refugees, including an estimated 2.5 million Palestinians and significant populations of Syrians fleeing recent conflicts. Humanitarian agencies say this has placed pressure on health, education and social services, particularly as global funding for refugee responses faces constraints.

By visiting both Gaza medical evacuees and longstanding refugee communities, the Sussexes’ trip seeks to highlight the overlapping challenges of protracted displacement, new emergencies and recovery from physical and psychological trauma. Aid groups hope the increased media attention will help sustain international support for programmes in Jordan and Gaza.

What happens next

The two‑day visit is scheduled to conclude on 26 February, after which Prince Harry and Meghan are expected to return to their home base. WHO and partner organisations are likely to continue working with the couple on longer‑term initiatives around mental health, rehabilitation and support for children affected by conflict, though specific future projects have not yet been formally announced.

Jordanian authorities and international agencies will assess whether the visit generates additional funding, political attention or policy commitments for Gaza evacuees and other refugee populations in the country. Further statements from the Sussexes’ office and participating organisations are expected once the trip concludes.