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India has been the latest victim in the coronavirus pandemic, it has been hit hard by the virus causing suffering nation wide. Due to there being such a large influx of numbers supplies to battle the virus and keep victims alive have diminished, because of this they have accepted aid from many countries such as oxygen to help their citizens survive.

The situation in India has continued to decline, although many countries such as the US, France, Turkey and more have provided aid to assist it is logistically hard to keep this situation under control. There have been over 20 million cases in India since the pandemic started. In a country that is still developing all this outside help has had an impact but not one big enough to provide the needed medical assistance for every patient which has resulted in unnecessary death and suffering. This situation will continue into the future until more measure such as vaccines are administered to prevent such outbreaks.

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With India battling their second wave of COVID19 unicef has set up a donation page.

Detailing the severity of what is happening in India, with cases reaching a daily number of 400,000 and the number of cases over 25 million.

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India's current COVID-19 crisis has seen the death toll surpass 280,000 and the total number of infections rise above 25 million.

Cases are still incredibly high with hundreds of thousands
every day.

At the peak of the crisis, more than 400,000 cases were being reported per day, the highest of any country since the pandemic began.

Hospitals and health centres across the country are collapsing under the tsunami of new cases, with oxygen, hospital beds and essential drugs running out, even in large towns and cities.

Patients in critical conditions are being turned away from hospitals and medical centres. Many return home to die without any medical help. Relatives are battling to find care or source oxygen cylinders to help treat or comfort their loved ones at home.
Families are desperately in need and require urgent help. We need to act now.
With cases rising exponentially, many more people will die if we do not send urgent help. Children could be left without their families if we do not reach them in time.
Donate and send life-saving supplies to India now.
Muhammad, 32, spreads awareness to take precaution against COVID-19 while wearing PPE in Mumbai, India. © UNICEF/UNI347237/Singh

We need your help to save lives and deliver urgent supplies to health centres. Your emergency donation will help:

Increase access to life-saving oxygen by delivering Oxygen Generation Plants to hospitals to treat severe and critical COVID-19 cases.

Provide rapid, accurate testing machines in some of the most affected districts.

Support the ongoing distribution of COVID-19 vaccines through the UNICEF-supported COVAX initiative.

Hospitals are being forced to turn away patients as they struggle to cope. Your donation will help to deliver the supplies health centres need most, and help families to get critical care for their loved ones.
Your help has never been more urgently needed.
Health workers wearing personal protective equipment attend to coronavirus positive patients inside a banquet hall temporarily converted into a covid care centre in New Delhi, India. © UNICEF/UN0452868/SINGH/AFP

How will my donation help to stop coronavirus in India?

Our teams on the ground are working to reach families desperately in need.

We are urgently appealing for funds to supply 50 Oxygen Generation Plants to treat critically ill patients. Every plant can support a 500 bed hospital for patients to breathe and survive. Your donation will help UNICEF to deliver these and save lives.

With $50 you can help deliver enough vaccines to protect 10 people from COVID-19.

With $95 you could help deliver 5 affordable, reliable and accessible COVID-19 testing kits.

With $234 you can help keep an Oxygen Generation Plant running for two hours.

Help UNICEF rush critical life-saving supplies and services to protect families and communities in India.
Please donate today.
In the event that UNICEF receives more funds than we need to respond to the immediate needs of the India COVID crisis your gift will help support UNICEF's work to purchase and deliver COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments in India and around the world. These are indicative prices. Vaccine prices and shipping prices may change as the response progresses.

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India COVID-19 Crisis | UNICEF Australia Emergency Appeal

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India's current COVID-19 crisis has seen the death toll surpass 280,000 and the total number of infections rise above 25 million. Cases are still incredibly high with hundreds of thousands every day. At the peak of the crisis, more than 400,000 cases were being reported per day, the highest of any country since the pandemic began.

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For the future of India this has been a big help it is still not enough to make a large enough impact with their having been over ... cases of COVID-19 cases recorded in the country so far. With this spike of cases every bit helps.

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Foreign countries and companies are ramping up their production and delivery of Covid emergency aid to India. Singapore sent the batch of oxygen cylinders pictured here. (Photo: PTI file)

Several countries and leading global companies have ramped up their production and delivery of emergency assistance to help India which is facing a devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

USA

US President Joe Biden has asked his administration to provide all assistance to India, which is battling one of the worst outbreaks of COVID-19, and has assured that Washington would stand shoulder-to-shoulder with New Delhi.

The Biden administration has committed to delivering more than USD100 million worth of supplies, including desperately-needed oxygen and related equipment, PPE and support for frontline health care workers, testing and vaccine manufacturing supplies, therapeutics, and public health assistance.

Another flight with USAID assistance materials including oxygen cylinders, N95 masks and filters to be used in the production of vaccines were dispatched from Dulles Airport to New Delhi. The first two flights arrived in New Delhi a day earlier.

Singapore on Saturday sent three cryogenic liquid oxygen tanks to India.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during a phone call thanked his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan for the support and facilitation provided on oxygen-related equipment supply.

China is also accelerating its production and delivery of 40,000 more oxygen generators ordered by India and 61 cargo flights operated between the two countries in the last two weeks, Chinese ambassador to India Sun Weidong said.

In his tweet on Saturday, Sun said: "China will do its utmost to support India fighting Covid-19."

"To my knowledge, freight air routes from China to India are operating normally. The past two weeks have witnessed 61 freight flights from China to India in operation," he said.

Sun's comments came amid media reports of difficulties being faced by some US firms in sending medical shipments from China to India.

"We've provided convenience in customs clearance & transportation for India to transport medical supplies from cities in China. Will continue to ensure smooth functioning of export channel of materials to India," he said in another tweet.

We've provided convenience in customs clearance&transportation for India to transport medical supplies from cities in China. Will continue to ensure smooth functioning of export channel of materials to India.
- Sun Weidong (@China_Amb_India) May 1, 2021

The Indian Embassy in Beijing tweeted on Saturday that a plane took off from Tianjin on Saturday, carrying 12 ISO containers procured commercially by an Indian company for transporting liquid medical oxygen.

"@EoIBeijing continues to coordinate with local agencies to facilitate transport and logistics of emergency supplies," it said.

The commercial moment of medical supplies from China to India picked up pace after Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed readiness to strengthen cooperation with India to fight the pandemic and provide help to deal with the current surge of COVID-19 cases in the country.

Among the leading global companies, American retail giant Walmart has announced it will donate up to 20 oxygen-generating plants and 20 cryogenic containers to India for the storage and transportation of the life-saving gas, and also provide USD 2 million to non-governmental organisations to help them fight the devastating surge in coronavirus cases.

Boeing on Friday announced a USD10 million emergency assistance package to support India's COVID-19 response.

Leading global payments company Mastercard has donated USD 8.9 million to a New York-based non-profit body, American India Foundation, to install 2,000 portable beds in India, which is reeling from a deadly wave of the COVID-19.

Covid second wave in India

According to the data updated by the Union Health Ministry on Saturday, India's daily coronavirus tally crossed the grim milestone of four lakh, while the death toll rose to 2,11,853 with 3,523 fresh fatalities.

The infection tally rose to 1,91,64,969 with 4,01,993 new cases, while the active cases crossed the 32-lakh mark.
ALSO READ: ALSO READ: Germany presses its military into action to assist India, to send oxygen generation plant Covid aid pours in from around the world for India. But how will it be distributed?

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Foreign countries, companies ramp up delivery of Covid aid to India

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Foreign countries and companies are ramping up their production and delivery of Covid emergency aid to India. Singapore sent the batch of oxygen cylinders pictured here. (Photo: PTI file) Several countries and leading global companies have ramped up their production and delivery of emergency assistance to help India which is facing a devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

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The first round of foreign aid has been received by India from the UK(April 27).

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Infections continues to soar - with another 320,000 cases on Tuesday

Medical supplies from the UK arrived in India on Tuesday - the first international shipment aimed at stemming a devastating Covid-19 surge.
Ventilators and oxygen equipment landed in Delhi, but far more will be needed, with many hospitals overwhelmed and people waiting in the streets outside.

India recorded 320,000 new infections on Tuesday, and deaths are now close to 200,000 in total.

One health adviser called the aid for a nation of 1.3bn "a drop in the ocean".

Zarir Udwadia, who works in Mumbai hospitals and counsels the government, told the BBC's Today programme the currently pledged supplies would have limited effects. He said he was seeing "ward after ward full of patients struggling to breathe on ventilators of different forms and shapes".

Dr Udwadia said the complacency over getting vaccinated during the first wave had now given way to long lines of people outside medical centres jostling to get shots.

"Vaccine hesitancy has become vaccine desperation," he said.

Although India's statistics currently stand at 17.6 million cases and 197,500 deaths, some believe the real figures to be much higher. One investigation by NDTV found that over the past week in Delhi alone some 1,158 deaths may have gone unrecorded.

What aid is arriving?

The UK shipment of 200 pieces, including ventilators and oxygen concentrators - which will help hospitals manage oxygen supplies - was unloaded at Delhi airport on Tuesday.

Foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said it was "international co-operation at work", but it is just the first trickle in what needs to be a flood of supplies for a nation of 1.3 billion people.

The UK, however, said it would not be sending vaccine doses to India imminently. "We are moving through the UK prioritisation list for our domestic rollout and we don't have surplus doses, but we will keep this under review", a spokesman for the prime minister said.

World Health Organization spokesman, Tarik Jasarevic, said it would deliver 4,000 oxygen concentrators to India.

France is sending oxygen production units, as well as oxygen containers and respirators, and some shipments of empty cylinders have already arrived from Thailand and Singapore.

And India has stepped up its own efforts - the first "Oxygen Express" train, which aims to transport 70 tonnes of the gas, arrived in the capital.

The surge varies from state to state, with Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala, along with Delhi, among those badly affected.

Images from many Indian cities show people waiting outside hospitals in ambulances or lying on makeshift beds, while elsewhere flames rise from the funeral pyres of victims.

'A person cannot even die peacefully in Delhi'

Actor and singer Priyanka Chopra was among those sending out messages calling for international help:

Allow Twitter content?

and

What is the vaccine situation?

It is one of rising concern.

India has opened vaccination to all adults from 1 May - another 900 million people - but there are fears supplies from the two Indian sources, the Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech, cannot even meet current demands for the over 45s.

The government denies there is any shortage of vaccines and has approved funds to boost production at the Serum Institute to 100 million doses a month by the end of May.

But health ministers from some states say they have been warned they may not get the supplies they need - particularly given the surge in demand from the public.

India has so far administered initial jabs to about 10% of the population.

Dr Udwadia told the BBC the rollout had been "glacially slow" and at this rate the country would not reach anything approaching herd immunity within 600 days.

He said that, because of the limited effects of the first wave: "We let down our collective guard and we were urged to by our leaders. Instead of being asked to be vigilant we heard self-congratulatory declarations of victory."

Dr Udwadia, and another doctor who spoke to the BBC, Devashish Palkar, both said they were seeing an increase in younger people becoming infected.

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India Covid: First UK aid arrives as coronavirus deaths mount

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Oxygen equipment lands in Delhi but far more is needed to tackle a devastating Covid wave.

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The Foreign Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi for India took to twitter to show the first shipment of foreign aid in the form of medical supples from Britain. The shipment contained 100 ventilators and 95 oxygen concentrators.

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International cooperation at work! Appreciate the shipment of vital medical supplies from 🇬🇧 including 100 ventilators & 95 oxygen concentrators that arrived early this morning.

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International cooperation at work! Appreciate the shipment of vital medical supplies from 🇬🇧 including 100 ventilators & 95 oxygen concentrators that arrived early this morning. https://t.co/MBZFwSn4cH

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International cooperation at work! Appreciate the shipment of vital medical supplies from 🇬🇧 including 100 ventilators & 95 oxygen concentrators that arrived early this morning. pic.twitter.com/MBZFwSn4cH
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) April 27, 2021

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International cooperation at work! Appreciate the shipment of vital medical supplies from 🇬🇧 including 100 ventilators & 95 oxygen concentrators that arrived early this morning. https://t.co/MBZFwSn4cH

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
International cooperation at work! Appreciate the shipment of vital medical supplies from 🇬🇧 including 100 ventilators & 95 oxygen concentrators that arrived early this morning. https://t.co/MBZFwSn4cH

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
International cooperation at work! Appreciate the shipment of vital medical supplies from 🇬🇧 including 100 ventilators & 95 oxygen concentrators that arrived early this morning.

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Australia's support towards India is highlighted in this video. Aid is being sent to India including:

500 non-invasive ventilators

1 million surgical masks

500,000 P2/N95 masks

100,000 surgical gowns

100,000 goggles

100,000 pairs of gloves gloves

20,000 face shields

100 oxygen concentrators

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Foreign aid arrives in COVID-stricken India I SBS News

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The US has promised medical aid to India to help combat COVID-19. Through a telephone conversation between Joe Biden the President and Narendra Modi the Prime Minister of India, the President stated: "steadfast support for the people of India who have been impacted by the recent surge in COVID-19 cases".

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The United States will release up to 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, a senior official said Monday, following mounting criticism that the Biden administration was hoarding shots while other countries suffered.

"US to release 60 million Astra Zeneca doses to other countries as they become available," tweeted Andy Slavitt, senior advisor to the White House on COVID response.

It was not immediately clear how many doses are ready to be shipped or where they will go, with Mr Slavitt adding "at this time there are still very few available."

But President Joe Biden held a telephone call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, pledging his country's "steadfast support for the people of India who have been impacted by the recent surge in COVID-19 cases."

The United States "is providing a range of emergency assistance, including oxygen-related supplies, vaccine materials and therapeutics," Mr Biden told Modi, according to a statement.

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters the Food and Drug Administration would perform quality checks on doses before they are sent abroad.

"Our team will share more details about our planning and who will be receiving offers from here, but we're in the planning process at this point in time," she added.

To everyone who understandably says: "about time" or "what were they waiting for", at this time there are still very few available. No real time has been lost.
- Andy Slavitt (@aslavitt46) April 26, 2021

President Joe Biden's government has been under pressure to lift restrictions on exporting vaccine and vaccine supplies as countries like India experience massive surges while US supply appears increasingly assured and domestic demand begins to taper off.

COVID-19 cases declining

The move greatly expands an action from last month to loan four million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is not yet approved in the United States and may never be, to Mexico and Canada.

Almost 140 million people in the US have now received one dose - 42 percent of the population - or 53 percent of the adult population.

The rate of new COVID cases is once more declining and a month-long mini spike now appears over.

Pfizer and Moderna appear on track to deliver 600 million doses between them by the end of July.

The United States has also resumed vaccinations with the Johnson & Johnson shot, the third authorised injection, after a brief pause over links to a rare form of clotting.

Ashish Jha, dean of the school of public health at Brown University, said one of the main hurdles to sending AstraZeneca doses abroad had been the issue of legal liability, since the original contracts were formulated between the company and the United States.

"There may be some adverse events and there may even be events that are not related to the vaccine," he said during a webinar, adding the maker was worried about legal cases without the indemnity it enjoys in the US.

"These are solvable in my mind by India, offering indemnity and protection to AstraZeneca," he added.

But he predicted the issue might be politically sensitive in India if the AstraZeneca vaccine comes to be viewed as a second-tier or "discarded" shot.

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US to share up to 60 million COVID-19 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine amid hoarding accusations

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The United States will release up to 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, a senior official said Monday, following mounting criticism that the Biden administration was hoarding shots while other countries suffered. "US to release 60 million Astra Zeneca doses to other countries as they become available," tweeted Andy Slavitt, senior advisor to the White House on COVID response.

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Russia has sent two planes worth of equipment  this includes:

20 oxygen producing units

75 ventilators

2000 packs of medicine

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Russia on Thursday sent 22 tonnes of medical supplies to India to assist the country in its battle against the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Two planes operated by the Russian EMERCOM landed in India this morning, carrying 20 oxygen production units, 75 ventilators, and 2,00,000 packs of medicines, according to a statement released by the Russian Ambassador to India Nikolay R Kudashev.

"Russia is closely watching the situation in India, which is becoming more and more alarming with unprecedented spread of the coronavirus infection. We sincerely empathise with the Indian people due to our traditionally warm and friendly relations," Kudashev said.

"The Russian Federation decided to send humanitarian assistance to India in the spirit of the special and privileged strategic partnership between our two countries, as well as in the context of our anti- Covid-19 cooperation," he added.

Kudashev went on to highlight the upcoming delivery of Russia's 'Sputnik V' vaccine starting from May 1, and the country's role in subsequently facilitating the production of the vaccine in India.

#RussiaHelps 🇷🇺🤝🇮🇳 #RussiaIndia#Russia sends oxygen concentrators, ventilators and 22 tonnes of medical supplies to #India to help fight #COVID19 and save lives.

✈️ 2 transport planes are already en route @MEAIndia @IndianDiplomacy

Video by @MchsRussia / @minpromtorg_rus pic.twitter.com/nmjGwVfmTU

- MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) April 28, 2021

On Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry shared a video of India-bound transport planes being loaded with relief material. "#RussiaHelps #RussiaIndia #Russia sends oxygen concentrators, ventilators, and 22 tonnes of medical supplies to #India to help fight #COVID19 and save lives. 2 transport planes are already en route @MEAIndia @IndianDiplomacy," the ministry tweeted.

Both flights of the Russian EMERCOM successfully delivered humanitarian aid to #India https://t.co/wZjpZqrjYR pic.twitter.com/DxGYMuW2ue

- Russia in India 🇷🇺 (@RusEmbIndia) April 29, 2021

Russia sent relief material to India following a phone conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin. PM Modi said Putin had assured the country of his support as it combats the second wave.

Had an excellent conversation with my friend President Putin today. We discussed the evolving COVID-19 situation, and I thanked President Putin for Russia's help and support in India's fight against the pandemic. @KremlinRussia_E

- Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 28, 2021

"We also reviewed our diverse bilateral cooperation, especially in the area of space exploration and renewable energy sector, including in hydrogen economy. Our cooperation on Sputnik-V vaccine will assist humanity in battling the pandemic," PM Modi had tweeted.

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Russia sends 22 tonnes of Covid relief material to help India fight Covid-19

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Russia on Thursday sent 22 tonnes of medical supplies to India to assist the country in its battle against the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Two planes operated by the Russian EMERCOM landed in India this morning, carrying 20 oxygen production units, 75 ventilators, and 2,00,000 packs of medicines, according to a statement released by the Russian Ambassador to India Nikolay R Kudashev.

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The number of cases for Covid19 in India has risen to 320,000 and 2,771 deaths in the last 25 hours. The numbers are overwhelming serious and as India's cases grow countries around the world are providing aid to help combat the disease. Many countries are beginning to send medical aid such as Germany, Israel and Pakistan.

The US has also promised medical aid of 60 million AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.

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India has recorded more than 320,000 new cases of coronavirus, as a grim surge of illness and death weighs on the country and its sinking health system begins to receive much-needed support from foreign nations.

The health ministry also reported another 2,771 deaths in the past 24 hours

Indian government sources say they expect India to receive the largest chunk of the US's surplus vaccine doses

Delhi has been cremating so many bodies that authorities are getting requests to start cutting down trees in city parks for kindling

Tuesday's 323,144 new infections raised India's total past 17.6 million, behind only the United States.

It ended a five-day streak of recording the largest single-day increases in any country throughout the pandemic, but the decline likely reflects lower weekend testing rather than reduced spread of the virus.

The health ministry also reported another 2,771 deaths in the past 24 hours, with roughly 115 Indians succumbing to the disease every hour.

The latest fatalities pushed India's deaths to 197,894, behind only the US, Brazil and Mexico.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi tweeted photos on Tuesday of the first shipment of medical aid India received from Britain. It included 100 ventilators and 95 oxygen concentrators.

Other nations including the US, Germany, Israel and Pakistan have also promised medical aid.

The countries have said they will supply oxygen, diagnostic tests, treatments, ventilators and protective gear to help India's crisis, which World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called "beyond heartbreaking".

'Our bowl is the largest and deepest'

The additional support comes as India expects to secure the biggest chunk of the 60 million AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses that the United States will share globally.

On Monday, the White House said 10 million doses could be cleared for export "in coming weeks" and the rest by June. It has not revealed potential beneficiaries, but two Indian government sources told Reuters India could gain the most.

Delhi has been cremating so many bodies of COVID-19 victims that authorities are getting requests to start cutting down trees in city parks for kindling.(
AP: Altaf Qadri
)

"The wheels of diplomacy and appeals from WHO and top public health experts changed their thinking and now we have the US ready to send vaccines," said one of the sources, an aide to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Biden administration had agreed to ship doses to India after initial reluctance, he added.

"We are not sure how many we will receive. All I can say here is, our bowl is the largest and deepest."

A relative of a patient who died of COVID-19, mourns outside a government COVID-19 hospital in Ahmedabad.(
AP: Ajit Solanki
)

Speaking to Reuters after a telephone conversation between Prime Minister Modi and President Joe Biden on vaccine raw materials, the second official said India was lobbying hard to get more than 35 per cent of the AstraZeneca doses.

"We are also assuring them that once COVID cases decline, we will manufacture and distribute vaccines to other nations," the source added, in line with a pact among the Quad group of nations comprising the US, India, Japan and Australia."

Both officials declined to be named ahead of a formal announcement of beneficiaries by the United States.

Current wave 'extremely dangerous'

India's first "Oxygen Express" train pulled into New Delhi this week, laden with about 70 tonnes of oxygen from an eastern state.

But the crisis has not abated in the city of 20 million people at the epicentre of the world's deadliest wave of infections.

Mass cremations begin in Delhi

Photos from New Delhi show bodies burning atop piles of wood in car parks amid mass cremations, after 306 people die of COVID-19 in 24 hours in India's capital.

"The current wave is extremely dangerous and contagious and the hospitals are overloaded," said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, adding that a large public area in the capital will be converted into a critical care hospital.

Delhi has been cremating so many bodies of COVID-19 victims that authorities are getting requests to start cutting down trees in city parks for kindling.

Outside graveyards in cities like Delhi, which currently has the highest daily cases, ambulance after ambulance waits in line to cremate the dead.

Burial grounds are running out of space in many cities as glowing funeral pyres blaze through the night.

"[Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government] has lit funeral pyres in every house," said one woman, mourning the death of her younger brother, aged 50.

He was turned away by two hospitals and died waiting to be seen at a third, gasping after his oxygen tank ran out and no replacements were to be had.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.

COVID-19 is killing one person every four minutes in India.

Wires/ABC

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More than 100 Indians dying from COVID every hour, as nation records 320,000 new cases

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India has recorded more than 320,000 new cases of coronavirus, as a grim surge of illness and death weighs on the country and its sinking health system begins to receive much-needed support from foreign nations.

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When asked the United States this month to lift a ban on exporting vaccine raw materials to help with the South Asian country's Covid crisis, Washington appeared to drag its feet , citing the need to "vaccinate the American people" first.

A backlash at home, as well as widespread international criticism, quickly led the US to reverse course, promising to provide aid to India.

Outside of India itself, the loudest and harshest critic was China: over the past week, state media has published a flurry of lashing out at Washington, claiming the initial response " fully exposed its selfishness " and accusing it of "obstructing global efforts" to distribute vaccines to developing countries in dire need.

Since containing its own domestic coronavirus outbreak, Beijing has positioned itself as a global leader in fighting the pandemic, often contrasting its eagerness to help other countries with the "America first" approach of the US under former President Donald Trump.

And as the crisis has rapidly spiralled out of control in India, Chinese leaders have repeatedly expressed a desire to help, pledging to "offer support and assistance to the best of our capability if the Indian side informs us of its specific needs."

New Delhi, however, has so far not taken Beijing up on this offer, symptomatic perhaps of what has become a deep and oftentimes mutual distrust between the two Asian powers.

While some in India may well agree with this assessment, many are nevertheless disinclined after the last year to believe Beijing has their best interests at heart either.

A perception that China is attempting to take advantage of the crisis to drive a wedge between Delhi and Washington could ultimately backfire.

Under domestic and international pressure, US President Joe Biden on Sunday pledged "America's full support to provide emergency assistance and resources in the fight against COVID-19," during a call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

China, on the other hand, can't even get a call back.

Beijing said on Tuesday it would establish a COVID-19 "emergency supplies reserve" for South Asian countries, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

India was invited to attend the online meeting, but it did not join, according to Chinese state media.

"It is hoped that our meeting today can also assist India in the fight against the pandemic," said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

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China, the US and the diplomatic tensions surrounding India COVID-19 aid

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When asked the United States this month to lift a ban on exporting vaccine raw materials to help with the South Asian country's Covid crisis, Washington appeared to drag its feet , citing the need to "vaccinate the American people" first.

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ICU doctor, Dr Sumit Ray stated what he is witnessing is "beyond a crisis".

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India's COVID-19 crisis: Growing fears that international aid may be too late to avert disaster

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The biden administration had planned to donate more than $100million US of supplies for COVID-aid to send to India

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AP
The infection tally rose to 1,91,64,969 with 4,01,993 new cases, while the active cases crossed the 32-lakh mark.

Several countries and leading global companies have ramped up their production and delivery of emergency assistance to help India which is facing a devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. US President Joe Biden has asked his administration to provide all assistance to India, which is battling one of the worst outbreaks of COVID-19, and has assured that Washington would stand shoulder-to-shoulder with New Delhi.

The Biden administration has committed to delivering more than USD100 million worth of supplies, including desperately-needed oxygen and related equipment, PPE and support for frontline health care workers, testing and vaccine manufacturing supplies, therapeutics, and public health assistance.

Another flight with USAID assistance materials including oxygen cylinders, N95 masks and filters to be used in the production of vaccines were dispatched from Dulles Airport to New Delhi. The first two flights arrived in New Delhi a day earlier.

Singapore on Saturday sent three cryogenic liquid oxygen tanks to India.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during a phone call thanked his Singaporeian counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan for the support and facilitation provided on oxygen-related equipment supply.

China is also accelerating its production and delivery of 40,000 more oxygen generators ordered by India and 61 cargo flights operated between the two countries in the last two weeks, Chinese ambassador to India Sun Weidong said.

In his tweet on Saturday, Sun said: "China will do its utmost to support India fighting Covid-19."

"To my knowledge, freight air routes from China to India are operating normally. The past two weeks have witnessed 61 freight flights from China to India in operation," he said.

Sun's comments came amid media reports of difficulties being faced by some US firms in sending medical shipments from China to India.

"We've provided convenience in customs clearance & transportation for India to transport medical supplies from cities in China. Will continue to ensure smooth functioning of export channel of materials to India," he said in another tweet.

The Indian Embassy in Beijing tweeted on Saturday that a plane took off from Tianjin on Saturday, carrying 12 ISO containers procured commercially by an Indian company for transporting liquid medical oxygen.

"@EoIBeijing continues to coordinate with local agencies to facilitate transport and logistics of emergency supplies," it said.

The commercial moment of medical supplies from China to India picked up pace after Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed readiness to strengthen cooperation with India to fight the pandemic and provide help to deal with the current surge of COVID-19 cases in the country.

Among the leading global companies, American retail giant Walmart has announced it will donate up to 20 oxygen-generating plants and 20 cryogenic containers to India for the storage and transportation of the life-saving gas, and also provide USD 2 million to non-governmental organisations to help them fight the devastating surge in coronavirus cases.

Boeing on Friday announced a USD10 million emergency assistance package to support India's COVID-19 response.

Leading global payments company Mastercard has donated USD 8.9 million to a New York-based non-profit body, American India Foundation, to install 2,000 portable beds in India, which is reeling from a deadly wave of the COVID-19.

According to the data updated by the Union Health Ministry on Saturday, India's daily coronavirus tally crossed the grim milestone of four lakh, while the death toll rose to 2,11,853 with 3,523 fresh fatalities.

The infection tally rose to 1,91,64,969 with 4,01,993 new cases, while the active cases crossed the 32-lakh mark.

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Foreign countries, companies step up delivery of COVID-19 aid to India

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Several countries and leading global companies have ramped up their production and delivery of emergency assistance to help India which is facing a devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. US President Joe Biden has asked his administration to provide all assistance to India, which is battling one of the worst outbreaks of COVID-19, and has assured that Washington would stand shoulder-to-shoulder with New Delhi.

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France has promised aid to India, employing a solidarity mission to help India.

Labelled the first phase of France's mission; medical equipment such as oxygen generator plants are being delivered to 8 Indian hospitals. Also, 28 ventilators and 200 electric syringe pushes will be onboard the cargo flight headed to Delhi around the 2nd May.

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In the first phase of this mission, a special cargo flight will land in Delhi on early May 2 morning to deliver 28 tons of medical equipment worth more than 17 crore rupees.

This delivery includes 8 world-class, high capacity oxygen generator plants manufactured by the French company Novair. These plants produce medical oxygen from ambient air to supply a hospital's oxygen system and/or fill cylinders with a flow rate of 20 000 litres per hour. Each plant can continuously supply a 250-bed Indian hospital non-stop for a dozen years. This translates into long-term oxygen autonomy, enhanced resilience to peaks in oxygen demand, savings of up to 15 crore rupees/year for the hospital, and eliminates safety issues related to liquid oxygen storage.

The oxygen plants will be delivered to 8 Indian hospitals, 6 in Delhi, one in Haryana and one in Telangana, based on needs as identified by the Indian authorities.

In addition to the oxygen plants, this airfreight will also include 28 ventilators and 200 electric syringe pushers which will be distributed to several hospitals based on needs to enhance their ICU capacities.

This special cargo flight has been chartered free of charge by the French shipping and logistics group CMA CGM through its air cargo division. Alongside CMA CGM, many other French companies present in India have stepped up to pool their contributions and resources with the French government's to carry out this exceptional solidarity mission. This support also falls within the framework of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM).

On this occasion, the Ambassador of France to India, H.E. Mr Emmanuel Lenain, said:
"We stand by India in these difficult times, just as India has always stood by France. In Spring 2020, when French hospitals were facing acute shortages, India provided lifesaving help through the export of critical medical drugs. The French people have not forgotten. India has, in fact, been at the forefront of international cooperation against the pandemic, including through sharing its massive vaccine production capacity with the countries most in need.

As President Emmanuel Macron said, solidarity is at the heart of the strategic partnership between France and India. A partnership between sovereign countries that have built an exceptional mutual trust and work together to enhance each other's strategic autonomy. This is what we have been doing for years in the fields of defence, nuclear energy, space. We know now that healthcare is also a pillar of sovereignty. And that is the meaning of our contribution: each of these oxygen generator plants will make an Indian hospital fully oxygen aatmanirbhar for more than ten years. I believe healthcare can be a new field to develop our strategic partnership, building on our respective strengths. Together, we will prevail."

This airfreight is the first phase of France's solidarity mission. Thanks to the numerous contributions of French companies in India with the active involvement of the Indo-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IFCCI), a second delivery of oxygen generators and medical equipment is underway. Moreover, in the following days, French company Air Liquide will begin shipments of several hundred tons of oxygen through a dedicated logistical bridge organized by both governments and implemented with the Indian armed forces.

Last modified on 04/05/2021

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France Stands with India: Phase 1 of the French Covid-19 Solidarity Mission

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In the first phase of this mission, a special cargo flight will land in Delhi on early May 2 morning to deliver 28 tons of medical equipment worth more than 17 crore rupees. This delivery includes 8 world-class, high capacity oxygen generator plants manufactured by the French company Novair.

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This short article focuses on why foreign aid is crucial right now for India to help combat the rising number of COVID cases. With the situation in India rising rapidly the need for aid has never been more serious.

The hospitals in India are now running dangerously low on medical supplies. Also, with the grim reality that crematoriums are running around the clock to keep up.

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Countries around the world are sending supplies and aid to India to help the country fight its COVID-19 outbreak, currently the world's worst.

Why it matters: Hospitals are running out of supplies, crematoriums are burning around the clock, and experts are increasingly concerned about the presence of a new variant in India.

The United States: Last Wednesday the White House announced it would send $100 million worth of aid to India, including 15 million N95 masks, 1 million rapid diagnostic tests, and an initial delivery of 1,100 refillable oxygen cylinders.

These supplies will be delivered in six shipments to India. A third of those deliveries arrived in New Delhi Sunday, per the New York Times.

The United Kingdom: The British government announced in a statement Sunday that it would be sending 1,000 more ventilators, on top of what it promised last week, which included 200 ventilators, 495 oxygen concentrators and 3 oxygen generation units.

France: France's Indian embassy announced Sunday the arrival of France's first cargo flight of aid materials, containing 28 tons of medical equipment.

Included are eight oxygen generators, each of which can supply 250 patients. It also includes 28 ventilators and 200 electric syringe pushers.

The statement notes that a second shipment of aid is being planned currently.

Germany: A German plane carrying 120 ventilators and a team of 13 medical experts reached India Saturday, per Deutsche Welle.

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Foreign aid pours into India as COVID-19 crisis worsens

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Countries around the world are sending supplies and aid to India to help the country fight its COVID-19 outbreak, currently the world's worst. Why it matters: Hospitals are running out of supplies, crematoriums are burning around the clock, and experts are increasingly concerned about the presence of a new variant in India.

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Where did this aid go?
The aid provided by other countries has been distributed amongst 38 institutions around the country.

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Around 40 lakh items, comprising medicines, oxygen cylinders and masks, received in foreign aid have been distributed to 38 institutions and hospitals, mostly run by the Central government in 31 States and Union Territories, according to a statement issued by the Union Health Ministry on Tuesday. Amid the second wave of COVID-19, with over 3 lakh cases being reported daily, India for the first time in 17 years decided to accept foreign aid.

Emergency aid continued coming into the country from various countries. Seven tankers with 20 metric ton Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) each arrived at the Mundra port in Gujarat from United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is the first such shipment of LMO to India, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

In a joint effort by the U.K. with the Indian Air Force (IAF), an IAF transport aircraft ferried 450 oxygen cylinders to Chennai, while the 5th in a series of consignments carrying medical equipment, 545 oxygen concentrators, arrived from the U.S.. Also, a shipment from Kuwait arrived in India with 282 oxygen cylinders, 60 oxygen concentrators, ventilators and other medical supplies.

Out of the eight hospitals in Delhi, six that received the aid sent from foreign countries are run by the Central government. Delhi is one of the worst affected States hit by oxygen shortage with the Central government and the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government sparring over the oxygen allocation. Oxygen allocation is being centrally controlled by an empowered group of officers.
Also read: IAF airlifts nine cryogenic oxygen containers from Dubai, Singapore
The Lady Hardinge Medical College, Safdarjung Hospital, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), National Institute of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases in Delhi have received the foreign aid, the Ministry said. Two other hospitals in Delhi and a hospital run by the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in Noida have also received such aid.

24 categories of items

The 24 categories of items that have been received from foreign countries include BiPAP machines, oxygen concentrators and cylinders, PSA oxygen plants, pulse oximeters, drugs such as Flaviparivir and Remdesivir, PPE coveralls, N-95 masks and gowns, the Ministry said.

The States and UTs that have received the items or are in the process of getting them are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, D&N Haveli, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Odisha, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

"The allocations are done keeping in mind equitable distribution and the load on tertiary [specialised] health care facilities. In the first few days, the States were covered via the AIIMS and other central institutions where the critical care patients load is high and where the need is highest. Besides, the Central government hospitals, including DRDO facilities in and around Delhi and in the National Capital Region region were also supplemented through the aid. It has been seen that tertiary health care facilities normally have higher number of cases with severe symptoms of Covid and are often the only succour to people in the region for quality tertiary care," the Ministry said.

Standard operating procedure

The Ministry prepared a standard operating procedure on May 2 and decided that since such grant-in -aid was limited in quantity it has to be optimally utilised by allocating it to the high burden States.

"Spreading such grant-in-aid thinly each time, over a large number of States may not bring forth the desired results. It will also lead to small packages travelling large distances, high turnaround times and possible wastage of resources," it said. It was also decided that the resource-low States in the Northeast and hill States where tankers cannot reach easily can also be covered to shore up their needs.

It noted that the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) would receive the consignments coming in as donations from foreign countries.

HLL Lifecare Limited (HLL) is the customs agent for the IRCS, and the distribution manager of the Health Ministry. "The consignments are processed at airport and transported for distribution by HLL. In case of consignments arriving at military airports, or bog items like oxygen plants, the Dept. of Military Affairs (DMA) assists HLL," it said.

U.S. defence company Raytheon Technologies Corporation announced that it was donating 1,000 oxygen concentrators, which have already started arriving in India, through the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum and organizations actively working with the government across the country. "These life-saving devices will be distributed where the need is the greatest, including those communities where our employees work and live," the company said in a statement.

Last week, aircraft manufacturer Boeing announced a $10 million emergency assistance package for India.

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COVID-19 surge | Foreign aid mostly went to Central hospitals

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Around 40 lakh items, comprising medicines, oxygen cylinders and masks, received in foreign aid have been distributed to 38 institutions and hospitals, mostly run by the Central government in 31 States and Union Territories, according to a statement issued by the Union Health Ministry on Tuesday.

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There have been delays in the distribution of aid that has reached India. With foreign aid streaming into India from the 27th April. There have been claims that medical supplies sent by countries were sitting in airports waiting to be moved.

Communication on where aid should be given or taken to is unclear in some cases.

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As India's devastating Covid-19 crisis mounted last month, countries around the world began sending emergency medical supplies to help stem the surge.

For several days, much of the cargo sat in airport hangars as hospitals called for more support. The supplies did not begin being distributed until as late as Monday evening - more than a week after the first batch of emergency assistance arrived, state officials have told local media.

But on the ground, officials in some of India's worst-hit states told the BBC that they had still not received any supplies.

Kerala - which recorded a record 37,190 new Covid cases earlier this week - had still not received any aid by Wednesday evening, the state's health secretary, Dr Rajan Khobragade, told the BBC.

He asked that the equipment "be allotted to Kerala on a priority basis, considering the fact that Kerala has one of the highest active case loads in the country", in an open letter to Mr Modi on Wednesday.

'Where is it going?'

Some healthcare officials claim there has been little to no communication from the central government on how or when they would receive supplies.

"There's still no information about where it is being distributed," said Dr Harsh Mahajan, the president of the Healthcare Federation of India, which represents some of the country's biggest private hospitals.

"It seems people don't know - I've tried two or three places and been unable to find out," he added. "It's still not clear."

Some non-governmental groups involved in responding to the crisis also say they are frustrated by an apparent lack of information.

"I don't think anybody has any clarity on where aid is going," Pankaj Anand, Oxfam India's director of programme and advocacy, told the BBC. "There is no tracker on any website giving you an answer."

An alleged absence of information about the relief distribution effort is raising questions - even in foreign donor countries - about where the aid is going.

"Rest assured that the United States is committed to making sure that our partners in India are taken care of in this crisis," the state department's spokesperson said in response.

The BBC asked the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office if it had any knowledge of where the country's aid - including its shipments of more than 1,000 ventilators - had been distributed.

In response the FCDO said "the UK has been working with the Indian Red Cross and Government of India to ensure transfer of medical equipment from the UK is as efficient as possible".

"Distribution processes and decisions on exactly where support provided by the UK will be deployed are matters for the Government of India."

Opposition politicians in India have also called for the government to release more information about how its relief effort is going."We request and demand from the government... Share it with every Indian: Where has this aid come from, and where is it going?" said Pawan Khera, a spokesperson for the opposition Congress party. "You owe it to the public."

'Streamlined distribution'

It took the Indian government seven days to create a "streamlined mechanism" to distribute supplies to states, according to the health ministry.

Even when shipments land in India, the distribution process is complex - involving various stages, ministries and outside agencies.

After relief flights arrive, aid is received by the Indian Red Cross Society, which is responsible for taking it through customs, according to the government's statement. The shipments are then handed over to another agency, HLL Lifecare, which handles the goods and subsequently transports them across the country.

Because supplies are arriving in various forms, authorities have to "unpack [and] repack" them before they can be dispatched, further slowing the process, the government admits.

"The materials from abroad are currently coming in different numbers, specifications and at different times," the government said. "In many cases the items received are not as per the list, or the quantities differ, which needs reconciling at the airport."

Once the materials are repacked, they are allocated to areas where "critical care patients load is high and where the need is highest".

'Working 24/7'

Despite the logistical challenges, India's central government says it is "working 24x7" to send supplies to strained areas. It said aid had been dispatched to some 38 institutions in 31 states by Tuesday evening.

One badly-hit state, Punjab, has received 100 oxygen concentrators and 2,500 doses of the life-saving drug remdesivir, a state official told the BBC on Wednesday.

The air force airlifted the "first batch" of 450 oxygen cylinders from the UK to Chennai (Madras) in southern Tamil Nadu state on Tuesday, the city's customs authority said on Twitter.

Meanwhile, trainloads of oxygen - nicknamed the "Oxygen Express" by officials - are being rushed to Delhi to help ease shortages in its hospitals.

'Oxygen is essential'

Despite these efforts, India's hospitals are still in dire need of fresh medical supplies - and above all of oxygen.

The country reported a record 412,262 new daily coronavirus cases on Thursday and 3,980 virus-related deaths, the health ministry said. India accounted for nearly half of all reported Covid infections across the world last week, and a quarter of all deaths, according to the World Health Organization.

Yet some healthcare professionals say what they need most urgently are not the foreign donations, but more on-site oxygen production facilities to be built at hospitals.

"Right now our only problem is oxygen," says Dr Mahajan. "Even if this aid comes or doesn't come, I don't think it's going to make a substantial difference. The oxygen generators will make the difference. That's what is most essential right now."

But for many of those on the frontline of India's healthcare emergency, the wait for desperately needed support continues.

"It is frustrating," Dr Mahajan says. "We are overwhelmed... this wave has hit us, the incline has hit us - [and] it's like a jet taking off."

Additional reporting by the BBC's Soutik Biswas and Andrew Clarance in Delhi

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India Covid aid: Is emergency relief reaching those in need?

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As India's devastating Covid-19 crisis mounted last month, countries around the world began sending emergency medical supplies to help stem the surge. For several days, much of the cargo sat in airport hangars as hospitals called for more support.

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India has been receiving medical supplies such as oxygen concentrators and oxygen generation plants to help combat the virus. The Indian government praised the global community on the support they have received through this difficult time stating;

"Reflecting the solidarity and goodwill towards India, the global community has extended a helping hand in supporting efforts of India in this collective fight against COVID19"

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India received 2,060 oxygen concentrators, 30,000 vials of Remdesivir, 467 ventilators and three oxygen generation plants from US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), Switzerland, Poland, the Netherlands and Israel on Friday, the government said.

An official statement of the Union Health Ministry released on Saturday said that India has been receiving international donations and aid of COVID-19 relief medical supplies and equipment since April 27, 2021 from different countries and organisations.

"Cumulatively, 6608 Oxygen Concentrators, 3856 Oxygen Cylinders, 14 Oxygen Generation Plants, 4330 ventilators/Bi PAP and about three lakh Remdesivir vials have been delivered/ dispatched, from April 27, 2021 to May 7, 2021," it said.

Praising the global community for its support, the government said, "Reflecting the solidarity and goodwill towards India, the global community has extended a helping hand in supporting efforts of India in this collective fight against COVID19."

It said the government has designed a streamlined and systematic mechanism for effective allocation, and prompt distribution and delivery of the support supplies received.

"This will help to supplement the medical infrastructure of the tertiary care institutions and recipient States/UTs, and strengthen their clinical management capacities for effective clinical management of the hospitalised COVID-19 patients.

"Effective immediate allocation, and streamlined delivery to the recipient states/UTs and institutions is an ongoing exercise. This is being comprehensively monitored by the Union Health Ministry on a regular basis," it said.

The ministry informed that around 100 oxygen concentrators were dispatched from Delhi to Assam on Saturday while a German Mobile Oxygen Production and Filling System, producing 360.0 litres of 93 per cent oxygen for medical use, and having a reserve oxygen tank of 420 litres was transported to DRDO in the morning, for use in their health facilities.

Ventilators received from the Netherlands are on way from Delhi to Telangana, it said.

"A dedicated coordination cell has been created in the Union Health Ministry to coordinate the receipt and allocation of foreign COVID relief material as grants, aid and donations. This cell started functioning from April 26, 2021. A standard operating procedure has been framed and implemented by the health ministry since May 2," it said.

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India received 2,060 oxygen concentrators, 3 oxygen generation plants as foreign aid on Friday

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India received 2,060 oxygen concentrators, 30,000 vials of Remdesivir, 467 ventilators and three oxygen generation plants from US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), Switzerland, Poland, the Netherlands and Israel on Friday, the government said.

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Turkey has sent aid to India. The medical supplies were sent to New Delhi on order by President Recep Tayyip Erodogan with assistance from Turkey's Foreign Ministry. The supplies contained the medical aid needed by the hospitals in India such as oxygen tubes, oxygen generators, ventilators and tablet medicines.

A small message of hope for the population of India was seen on the cargo. The foreign aid boxes had the quote "There is hope after despair and many suns after darkness".

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A Turkish military plane carrying medical supplies to fight COVID-19 left on Tuesday for India's capital New Delhi, Turkey's Defense Ministry announced on Twitter.

The plane was carrying medical supplies, including 630 oxygen tubes, five oxygen generators, 50 ventilators, and 50,000 boxes of tablet medicines prepared by the Turkish Red Crescent and Turkey's Health Ministry.

The boxes of aid bore the words of 13th-century poet Mevlana Rumi - "There is hope after despair and many suns after darkness" - plus the message: "With love from Turkey to the people of India."

Ibrahim Altan, head of the Turkish Red Crescent, told reporters that they sent the aid at the orders of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and with help from Turkey's Foreign Ministry along with the ministries of health, industry and technology, and defense.

Referring to Turkish-Indian ties dating back well over a century, Altan added: "India sent aid to our country during both the Balkan Wars and the War of Independence and has always stood with us in trying times. Today, we are sending aid to them."

India recorded more than 3,511 fatalities in the last 24 hours as the overall coronavirus death toll reached 307,231, according to data compiled by the US' Johns Hopkins University.

Daily cases fell to 196,427, pushing the country's total to 26.94 million, the data showed.

Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. Please contact us for subscription options.

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Turkey sends aid to India to fight COVID-19

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A Turkish military plane carrying medical supplies to fight COVID-19 left on Tuesday for India's capital New Delhi, Turkey's Defense Ministry announced on Twitter. The plane was carrying medical supplies, including 630 oxygen tubes, five oxygen generators, 50 ventilators, and 50,000 boxes of tablet medicines prepared by the Turkish Red Crescent and Turkey's Health Ministry.

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Anti-covid aid has been sent to India from Russia. With expressed gratitude being given to the Igor Morgulov, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister.

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MOSCOW, May 25. /TASS/. Ambassador of India to Moscow Bala Venkatesh Varma in a letter to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov has expressed gratitude for humanitarian aid provided to the republic for the fight against the coronavirus infection, India's embassy in Moscow told TASS on Tuesday.

The embassy reported that the ambassador of India to Russia Bala Venkatesh Varma expressed gratitude to the Russian government and people for their aid to India during difficult times. The ambassador addressed the deputy foreign minister Igor Morgulov acknowledging the especially privileged strategic partnership.

Earlier on Tuesday, an Il-76 plane of Russia's Emergencies Ministry bearing a cargo of medications designated for India's fight against the coronavirus infection landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport near New Delhi. As Russian Ambassador to India Nikolay Kudashev told Russian journalists, the flight delivered over 9 tonnes of pharmaceuticals the republic urgently needed as it is weathering a new wave of coronavirus infection.

At the end of April, Russia sent two cargo planes to India with humanitarian aid. Over 22 tonnes of cargo was delivered, including 20 units of oxygen-generating equipment, 75 artificial lung ventilators, 150 medical monitors and 200,000 packages of pharmaceuticals against COVID-19.

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Indian ambassador thanks Russia for new batch of anti-COVID-19 aid, embassy says

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MOSCOW, May 25. /TASS/. Ambassador of India to Moscow Bala Venkatesh Varma in a letter to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov has expressed gratitude for humanitarian aid provided to the republic for the fight against the coronavirus infection, India's embassy in Moscow told TASS on Tuesday.

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