COVID-19 INTERNATIONALApril 2020 SOLIDARITY One of numerous medical brigades sent by Cuba to Italy to assist in battle against Covid-19 ‘Solidarity is precious. It does not have a price tag.’ SINN Féin’s National Chairperson, Declan prison warders. Kearney MLA, has called for internation- “While international economic and financial sanctions are al solidarity in the global fight against still being imposed by the US against Cuba, which has shown Covid-19. such inspirational practical international solidarity, and other Declan Kearney said: countries, the newly appointed UN rapporteur on human rights, “Covid-19 will be devastating for the Alena Douhan, has called for all unilateral sanctions to be lifted poor, the impoverished and exploited of which obstruct the humanitarian response of sanctioned states, capitalist and underdeveloped countries in order to help their health services to fight Covid-19 and to across the northern and southern hemi- save lives. spheres. Declan Kearney MLA “Coronavirus has disrupted all our social and relational norms. “In Palestine, the Israeli and Egyptian “Its economic and social consequences will be far reaching. governments continue to maintain a blockade on Gaza, the most Current economic forecasts are now predicting deep economic densely populated area in the world. recessions across the world. “The Palestinian Authority has expressed deep alarm at the “What we face must not be allowed to become our new ‘normal’. real threat to the health of over 5,000 Palestinian political prison- “People, life and wellbeing are too important. ers detained in Israeli jails because of a Covid-19 outbreak among “Solidarity is precious. It does not have a price tag.” @SFIntDept www.sinnfein.ie @sinnfeininternational COVID-19 INTERNATIONAL 2 SOLIDARITY Sinn Féin discuss Covid-19 emergency with Palestinian and Cuban Ambassadors SINN Féin MLA Declan canteens. Kearney and Junior Min- “The Ambassador ister in the Executive Of- asked for the interna- fice has spoken with the tional community to Palestinian and Cuban intensify pressure upon Ambassadors in Ireland the Israeli government to discuss the Covid-19 to meet its international global emergency. Cuban Ambassador Palestinian obligations and protect The Sinn Féin Na- to Ireland, Ambassador to Ireland, the health of the prison- tional Chairperson said Hugo Ramos Jilan Abdalmajid ers which it detains. I it was an international am now calling on the scandal that the Palestinian people continue to Irish government to use its influence to address endure the Israeli blockade of Gaza and occupa- this humanitarian priority.” tion of the West Bank while having to fight the Shortly afterwards Declan Kearney spoke with battle against Covid19. Cuban Ambassador Hugo Ramos and discussed After speaking with Ambassador Jilan Wahba, the measures being taken against Covid-19 in Declan Kearney said: Cuba and Ireland, he added: “The Ambassador briefed me that to date there “The Ambassador reported on the blanket have been 134 confirmed cases of Covid19 and community testing being used in Cuba and the one death in Palestine. Twelve of these cases are comprehensive isolation measures in place where in Gaza. required. I briefed him on the challenges we face “It is an international scandal that the Palestin- in Ireland, particularly in the north. ian people must simultaneously struggle against “I thanked the Ambassador for the inspiration- Sinn Féin support for the unjust Israeli blockade of Gaza and occupa- al international solidarity being demonstrated by tion of the West Bank while also battling against the Cuban government at this time. Basque National Day the spread of Covid19. “There are currently 14 Cuban medical brigades “Overall 7,553 community tests have been deployed across the globe, comprising 593 pro- and Euskal Herria carried out to date in Palestine. The Palestinian fessionals with specialist experience in interna- Ministry of Health is grateful for the support of tional disaster situations and health epidemics. Batera initiative the World Health Organisation in particular, for “It is a travesty that while Cuba provides such the supplies of testing kits provided to date. unconditional international support to countries ON Sunday April 12 the Basque people “Efforts are currently ongoing to increase in- struggling with the effects of Covid19, including celebrated the ‘Aberri Eguna’, day of the tensive care capacity through access to additional in Italy, that this US administration persists with Basque Homeland. ventilators, oxygen and other essential medical its economic blockade and financial sanctions Due to the exceptional circumstances equipment. against the Cuban economy and its people. imposed by the Coronavirus, a group of “However, the Palestinian Authority is very con- “The Ambassador and I will remain in regular individuals also promoted the Euskal cerned for the health and wellbeing of over 5,000 contact about our efforts in Ireland and Cuba to Herria Batera initiative (Euskal Herria political prisoners being held in Israeli prisons, combat the spread of Covid19 during the immedi- United) that has called for the Aberri due to an outbreak of Covid19 among prison staff ate future.” Eguna to be “united” on balconies and and the removal of cleaning products from prison windows with the aim of defending the right to decide of the Basque people, while we pay tribute and show our con- Cuban Communist Party Central Committee dolences to the victims of the crisis and express our gratitude to those who are responds to Sinn Féin support taking care of us. To do this, they created a photograph- In response to Sinn Féin’s gratitude for the inspirational international support being demonstrated by the ic mosaic “in which each person or fami- Cuban government in the global fight against Covid-19 and our demand that the US lift the illegal blockade ly expresses their wishes” and singing in against the Cuban people the Cuban Communist Party Central Committee send the following reply: chorus on balconies and windows. In support of the Basque peoples ‘Dear Friend ‘Right to Decide’ their future and in con- We are very grateful for your recognition of the effort made by our health collaborators to offer their soli- dolences to the victims of the Covid-19 darity help to various countries of the world, in order to contribute to stopping and eradicating the Covid-19 crisis a number of senior Sinn Féin rep- pandemic, which keeps the planet in suspense and has claimed so many lives. resentatives assisted this international In effect, the genocidal policy that represents the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by initiative by adding their photos and the United States government on our Country, damages the Cuban people and constitutes the main obstacle a solidarity message to the mosaic in- to their development. This unjust sanction is doubly cruel, by preventing Cuba from obtaining the aid and cluding Michelle O’Neill (Vice-President), resources to combat this disease. Eoin Ó Broin TD, Martina Anderson MLA, We appreciate your heartfelt and committed support, while reiterating our willingness to work together to Deirdre Hargey (Minister for Communi- continue to expand and strengthen the excellent ties between our parties. ties) and Gerry Adams (former President - Department of International relations, Central Committee Communist party of Cuba.’ and TD). @SFIntDept www.sinnfein.ie @sinnfeininternational COVID-19 INTERNATIONAL 3 SOLIDARITY Sinn Féin supports Palestinian Prisoners petition Sinn Féin President, Mary Lou McDonald, has written to the Tánaiste & Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, requesting that he raises the issue of Palestinian prisoners as a matter of humanitarian concern. This action is line with Sinn Féin’s support for a petition on the issue of the rights of Palestinian prisoners calling for; a. The release of approx. 1,000 of the most vulnerable Palestinian political prisoners from Israeli prisons. b. The immediate cessation of nightly raids and detaining of Palestinians across the occupied territories. c. The immediate ending of arbitrary detentions and Administrative Detentions, interrogations, and trans- fers between prisons and detention centres. d. An increase in the number of ICRC staff working in the Occupied Territory in response to the pandemic. Mary Lou McDonald, Sinn Féin President Sinn Féin supports Nicaraguan international Petition and Tweet storm SINN Féin has added our voice to the fol- lowing international Petition organised by the Sao Paulo Forum directed to António de Oliveira Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, against illegal block- ade of countries and for solidarity among peoples: 1. We are experiencing an alarming health situation worldwide with the SARS- CoV-2 and COVID-19 pandemic. 2. Today April 6, almost one million people are infected, with thousands of deaths in several countries. Nobody had prepared for a situation on that scale! Health systems in general were not prepared and few countries were able to minimally contain the initial number of infections and thus prevent the collapse of their own system. António de Oliveira Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations 3. The general reaction was to order have unsuccessfully requested the lifting constitutes the main obstacle to its quarantines and isolations to reduce the of sanctions in order to purchase sup- development. In its constant example spread of the virus, measures that have plies, medical equipment and medicines of humanity and solidarity, Cuba once catastrophic consequences for econo- for their health system. again offered cooperation in the area of mies, which are not yet fully defined. health to face the pandemic and, upon 7. Nicaragua has suffered these sanctions 4. There is also an increase in xenophobic request, sent Medical Brigades to more for years and now it does not even have positions, blaming a culture or country than a dozen countries. the right to obtain humanitarian aid. for the emergence and spread of the 10. In view of the above, we, the under- virus. 8. In Venezuela, the government was signed, request that the blockade, the willing to buy supplies, but international 5.