The Prince of Wales yesterday unveiled the first ever humanitarian memorial in the UK, in a tribute to all humanitarian aid workers around the world who have been killed in action, and those who continue to put their lives at risk.
The memorial is situated in Gunnersbury Park in west London, and was created by Michael Landy. It consists of 15 2-D life-sized green human figures linking arms.
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Embed from Getty Images
Each of the figures are inspired by a specific aid worker and their story, with individual faces of symbols and expressions.
There are gaps between the five groups which allow visitors to stand with the sculpture and complete the circle.
During the visit, Prince William met with the Landry to hear more about the story behind the sculpture, joined by some of the invited guests. Among the invited guests were the BBC’s chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet, and the corporation’s International Editor Jeremy Bowen.
The two journalists explained to Prince William the frustrations of journalists who have been banned from gaining access to reporting on the war in Gaza. Doucet explained to the Prince how ‘rules of war are being broken on an industrial scale’.
Launching the Global Humanitarian Memorial today in Gunnersbury Park. Recognising humanitarian work and honouring the lives of aid workers is more important than ever. Their work is critical to the preservation of life and human dignity for millions of people around the world. pic.twitter.com/2Z0EwywoxN
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) October 1, 2025
385 aid workers were killed last year, and the number for 2025 has already reached 300.
‘Getting in for us is a big issue,’ Bowen said. ‘It is really designed to make it much harder for us to do our job. It’s quite a successful media policy to not let us in. That’s the issue that we face right now.
‘I’m going over for the anniversary of the attack next week but the place we need to be – it’s so weird when we’re in the wrong place.’
William also heard a speech from the United Nations Under-Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher. Fletcher told all those gathered at the launch about a colleague of his that had been killed, and the wife of another colleague that had also been killed, and reiterated that ‘Gaza is now the deadliest place on earth to be a humanitarian’.
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Taking the the podium for his own speech earlier in the visit, The Prince of Wales spoke of the ‘appalling suffering of those who are victims of war and violence from Ukraine to Sudan, from Myanmar to Haiti and indeed throughout much of the Middle East. And alas in so many other places’.
He continued that the presence of aid workers ‘runs like a thread of shared humanity through even the grimmest of environments. Rather than running away from danger, discomfort and hunger, these incredibly brave men and women stay behind to bring whatever respite, compassion and care they can to those who need it the most’.
The Prince called for the championing of these humanitarian aid workers, and that everyone should ‘fight for their access to people in the most desperate of circumstances’.
‘Each death is a tragedy, a cruel affront to the international humanitarian principles which must remain sacrosanct’, he said.
Yesterday’s engagement comes at a time when humanitarian workers are in the news constantly, making it all the more poignant.
