The Deputy Secretary-General of the Organisation of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU), Valentine Udeh, conveyed a message of solidarity to the people of Palestine during the Labour Organisations International Conference organized by Memur-Sen on January 20, 2024. In his address to the virtual gathering, Mr. Udeh emphasised the severe consequences of the Zionist state’s aggression on Palestinians, highlighting the rising death toll among innocent Palestinians and its impact on their food security.

The assault by the Zionist army on the population of Gaza has resulted in the loss of over 23,000 Palestinian lives, with alarming reports indicating that 70% of the casualties are women and children. The Gaza Strip, housing 1.9 million people, has become uninhabitable, with 85% of the population internally displaced and 70% of homes damaged or destroyed.

These distressing statistics have fueled deep concerns expressed by OATUU at its 12th Congress held recently in Algiers, Algeria. The congress vehemently condemned the ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestinian land, urging adherence to international humanitarian law and a cessation of expansion efforts.

As OATUU stands united in its commitment to peace, justice, and solidarity with the Palestinian people, the message resonates with a call for an immediate end to the bombing in Gaza, the lifting of the embargo imposed since 2006, and the reopening of humanitarian aid corridors.