Prince William honours ‘incredible heroes’ fighting coronavirus outbreak in Syria

‘I’m totally overwhelmed by the scale of the burden you guys face,’ says Duke of Cambridge

(Getty Images)

The Duke of Cambridge has praised healthcare workers in war-torn regions, telling them in a video call he was “totally overwhelmed by the scale of the burden” they face.

Speaking to humanitarians in Syria, Prince William said recognised the “enormity” of the challenge facing workers in the country as well as those in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Afghanistan.

He spoke to three Syrian aid workers, Fadi Hallisso, Kawther Mohamad Ali, and Shahinaz Muamar, on Thursday.

The call was arranged as part of the Disasters Emergency Committee’s (DEC) Coronavirus Appeal, which has thus far raised more than £38 million to support vulnerable people dealing with coronavirus.

During the call, William said he was “amazed” by the money raised to date, but acknowledged it is “nowhere near what you need”.

He told them: “As a fundraising initiative goes, that’s a decent amount. I know it’s nowhere near what you need, but £38 million in a coronavirus pandemic year is quite impressive.

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“I’m totally overwhelmed by the scale of the burden you guys face - the scale and challenge, but also the enormity of the dedication you have.”

Speaking to the duke, Mr Hallisso, who is from Aleppo, illustrated some of the issues they are currently facing given that just 65 per cent of hospitals in Syria are open.

As a result, “many hundreds of thousands” of people are “living in the outdoors in makeshift tents”, he said, adding that “a lot of doctors were either killed or had to flee the country for their safety”.

Mr Hallisso continued: “People are often left with one of two choices - either to die out of hunger if they stay at home, or to risk their life if they go out and try to work and bring food to their families.

“Because of the lack of viable governing bodies in the north west, and the absence of schemes like the furlough scheme you have in the UK... people are forced to go out and work.”

After hearing the aid workers’ stories, Prince William said: “You are all incredible heroes.”