It looked like Prince Harry's hands were wandering as he chatted with a top charity official last night.
The royal was at an event to promote MapAction, which helps co-ordinate relief efforts in disaster areas as he watched a team responding to a mock earthquake
He praised the 'extraordinary' volunteers of a humanitarian emergency
response organisation as he was spirited to the heart of a devastating
earthquake.
But it appeared he was making a slightly suspicious gesture as he chatted to the organisation's chief executive Liz Hughes.
Careful there Harry! The Prince made a suspect
gesture as he chats to chief executive Liz Hughes (right) at a reception
for MapAction at the Royal Society, London
Harry spoke of his pride at
being patron of MapAction which helps co-ordinate relief efforts in
disaster areas as he watched a team responding to a mock earthquake.
The
royal looked on intently as a small team of three MapAction volunteers
battled to cope with the natural disaster inside a canvas field tent
complete with satellite phones, first aid kits and dozens of maps.
MapAction,
which is based near High Wycombe, Bucks., produces maps highlighting
not only the geography of an area but where need is greatest and the
locations for vital humanitarian aid.
The
organisation has successfully deployed to more than 40 emergency
missions since its service was launched over 10 years, helping millions
of people affected by disaster.
Speaking to potential
MapAction donors and existing financial supporters and helpers at the
Royal Society in London Harry said he had met volunteers.
Patron: Prince Harry, centre, with Chief
Executive, Liz Hughes, right, and Chairman of Trustees, Roy Wood, at a
reception for MapAction at the Royal Society, in central London
He said: 'I was struck by their
willingness to drop everything at a moment's notice - despite the fact
I'd do that in my job anytime - and step into the heart of the crisis no
matter where it is in the world, leaving loved ones behind.'
He
added: 'And to do this knowing that very few people will have any idea
what contribution they have made. They are extraordinary people and this
is an extraordinary organisation.'
The
mock earthquake was based on the organisation's efforts in Haiti whose
capital Port-au-Prince was devastated by a natural disaster in 2010.
Proud: Prince Harry has praised the 'extraordinary' volunteers of a humanitarian emergency response organisation
During
the scenario Hamish Pritchard, a glaciologist with the British
Antarctic Survey who was part of the MapAction team sent to Haiti, told
the audience: 'We've got some text messages from people trapped in the
rubble, we're putting the locations into the maps and sending out
teams.'
This was based on real events from Port-au-Prince as texts were used to track down survivors.
MapAction
has been working in Syria since December to map the needs of affected
communities and co-ordinate humanitarian efforts to ensure those most in
need receive help first.
And last week two members of its team flew to the Sudan where weeks of heavy rains triggered flash floods in August.
The Royal called MapAction 'Extraordinary people and this is an extraordinary organisation'
Dozens of people were
killed and hundreds of thousands have been affected by the disaster
which hit the area around the capital Khartoum.
Harry
told his audience: 'The maxim 'who, what, why, when and where' is
common to many organisations and across many different situations for a
very reason.
'Without this
information it's just not possible to make effective decisions. In the
context of a natural disaster it is of course vital to make decisions
quickly in order to save lives and protect those who may still be in
danger.
'MapAction's ability
to have experts on the ground within hours, collating this information
in support of decision makers, has placed them at the very heart of
international response efforts over the last 10 to 11 years.'
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