Peace campaigners in Orkney will be meeting on the Kirk Green, outside St Magnus Cathedral, between 1 and 2pm today, Saturday 15th of February.

Alarmed by statements made by President of the USA Donald Trump about removing the people of Gaza for their land, the islanders felt that they must register their opposition to ethnic cleansing by meeting together in vigil.

President Trump has also had dealings through his friendship with Vladimir Putin over their joint plans for Ukraine. This would involve ceding lands to Russia against the will of the people of Ukraine.

Commenting on his friendly phone chat with the Russian Dictator, President Trump said:

“We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations. We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately, and we will begin by calling President Zelenskyy, of Ukraine, to inform him of the conversation, something which I will be doing right now.”

GAZA

In Gaza people have been returning to the shattered remnants of their homes determined to rebuild the lands occupied by their families for generations.

Thousands of humanitarian trucks – including over 1,750 UNRWA trucks – carrying essential food supplies, shelter items, and medicines have crossed into the Gaza Strip since phase 1 of the ceasefire. It is estimated that UNRWA teams have already reached more than 1.5 million people with food parcels and have enough in the pipeline to reach the rest of Gaza’s population.

Non-food items have also been delivered, including blankets, mattresses, floor mats, clothes, kitchen items, and tarpaulins for temporary shelters.

1.9million people (90%) of the population of Gaza were forced to move from their homes, often moving on multiple times. Now the survivors of the Gaza Genocide are on the long walk back to rebuild their communities.

Three quarters of the farmland has been damaged, including wells and greenhouses resulting in people having to rely on humanitarian food supplies.

UKRAINE

It was in February 2022 that Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. Russia occupies about 20% of Ukraine. About 4 million people have been displaced from their communities with 6.8 million fleeing the country.

Humanitarian assistance is being provided to 14.6million Ukrainians.

On Thursday 13 February, after Trump’s dealing with Putin, the First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney, confirmed his support for the people of Ukraine. Posting on social media John Swinney said:

“Ukraine’s right to independence and territorial integrity must be absolute. Any peace deal must recognise this.

“The international community should not concede to aggression and we must not allow Putin’s violence to be rewarded.”

Russia has lost over 850,000 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022, according to the latest figures by the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.  Ukraine has lost 45,100 soldiers on the battlefield since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. (Ukraine Daily)

Today The Orkney News will be standing in solidarity with the people of Gaza and of Ukraine. As Trump continues to ride roughshod over the US Constitution and the Rights of the People he was elected to defend, we will also be thinking of our American friends and the damage his executive orders and enablers are doing to public services in the USA.

Fiona Grahame