Caricom heads must take a stand on Gaza humanitarian disaster

Dear Editor,
I wish to join all Guyanese in welcoming leaders from the Caricom countries to Guyana on the occasion of the 46th Heads of Government meeting. I hope that their meetings would be productive and that at the same time, enjoy some moments of relaxation.
This meeting is taking place at a time when our world is experiencing much turmoil and conflicts. However, we have not witnessed a case of genocide as is going on in the Gaza since the period of Hitlerite Fascism
At the moment some 30,000 civilians in the Gaza strip have been brutally killed. Thousands of others are missing presumed to be dead. Tragically the vast majority of deaths are innocent children (some only hours old) and women. Some 70,000 over injured many losing one or more limbs.
The Israeli regime have been targeting special groups such as health workers. First responders. Doctors are shot while working to save lives. Many in the medical profession have also been arrested at a time when civilians are being murdered.
Journalists are another group of people that are targeted for killing. Their crime is that they are reporting the tragedy taking place in Palestine. The other reason is to prevent news from reaching the world s public by using fear in the minds of those journalist who are still alive while still trying to kill them.
United Nations workers toiling heroically to provide some relief to the starving and disease-stricken civilians are not spared by the Israeli s fascist regime. More than one hundred of those heroic workers were killed along with the Palestinians.
I need not mention the almost total destruction of physical and social infrastructure. Hospitals, schools, universities, homes have all been flattened. They are non-existent now.
Unfortunately, the Israeli regime is allowed to carry out their genocide because it is supported by the most powerful country in the world, the United States and many of its NATO allies.
This meeting of Caricom heads must take a stand on this humanitarian disaster. We cannot and should not be innocent by-standers in the face of this humanitarian disaster unfolding in front of our very eyes. Mere declaration is not enough. Israel and its few but powerful backers are ignoring these statements of condemnation. Our leaders must take strong actions to express the Region s disgust at the loss of so many innocent lives.
I wish to urge Caricom countries to break diplomatic relations with Israel now. It is the only right thing to do. It will be a most tangible expression of our solidarity!
The situation is dire and it calls for urgent decisive action.

Sincerely,
Donald Ramotar
Former President of
the Republic of Guyana