US, UK and EU stands in solidarity with India as country grapples with COVID-19

US, UK and EU stand in solidarity with India as the country grapples with COVID-19.

Monday, 26th April 2021

A health worker wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) carries a patient suffering from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outside the casualty ward at Guru Teg Bahadur hospital, in New Delhi, India, April 24, 2021. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

The European Union, UK and the United States have promised to help India as the nation battles a deadly surge of COVID-19 cases. For the fourth through the day, India on Sunday set a global daily life of new cases, driven by a mutant new variant rumoured to be developed here. The surge has weakened the government's premature declarations of success over the pandemic. The 349,691 new infections brought India's total count to more than 16.9 million, behind only the United States. The Health Ministry stated extra 2,767 deaths in the past 24 hours, pushing India's deaths to 192,311. The death toll can be a huge undercount, as assumed cases are not included, and many COVID-19 deaths are being attributed to underlying conditions. Short supplies of oxygen compound the crisis, with families left on their own to ferry people sick with COVID-19 from hospital to hospital in search of treatment. On social media and in television footage, great families plead for oxygen outside hospitals or weep in the way for loved ones who died waiting for treatment. 'We are ready to support' In response to the spiralling situation in the southeast Asian nation, the European Union has initiated its Civil Protection Mechanism, which is agreeing with member states to ship oxygen and cure rapidly. Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said she was "terrified by the epidemiological situation in India. We are ready to support." "The EU is pooling means to react rapidly to India's request for assistance," she added. Chancellor Angela Merkel also announced that Germany "stands in solidarity with India and is essentially creating a purpose of support." "To the people of India, I want to display my understanding for the terrible suffering created because COVID-19 has again returned to your communities. The fight upon the pandemic is our common fight," she stated in a declaration.