How to help India amid COVID-19 surge that's devastating the country
As India faces an overwhelming surge of record-breaking COVID-19 cases and deaths, humanitarian organizations are offering ways to help the country in dire need of resources.
Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE), a global humanitarian agency that helps in delivering emergency relief, has been working with its India chapter to provide on-the-ground resources during the crisis.
Since pandemic began, CARE India has aided more than 400,000 people in the most marginalized sections of the country with PPE and dry ration support, a CARE spokesperson told ABC News.
“The unabated spread of COVID-19 has placed immense strain on organizations and communities dealing with this humanitarian crisis," CARE India told ABC News. "Marginalized communities face the greatest risk since they are already struggling to meet their daily needs. We at CARE know that the poor communities, as well as women and girls, are at highest risk."
Currently, the CARE India team is in Bihar and is coordinating with COVID-19 designated hospitals across the country to collect data, administer IT services and support the well-being of health care workers.
On the organization’s website, there are ways to donate to the India COVID-19 emergency.
Sewa International, a nonprofit organization, announced it sent an initial shipment of 400 oxygen concentrators and other emergency medical devices to India through its “Help India Defeat COVID-19 campaign,” according to a press release.
“Naturally, in the current situation, many Americans are concerned about the safety of their extended families and friends living in India. Hundreds of volunteers from Sewa and our partnering organizations are working on the ground in India,” Arun Kankani, president of Sewa International, said in a statement. “Right now, our top priority is to quickly acquire oxygen concentrators and ship them to India as it can save lives.”
The organization has also partnered with the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin to raise funds in the U.S., including by providing ways to donate.
Indian health care officials have reported an astounding number of COVID-19 cases, more than 368,000 in the last 24 hours, the twelfth straight day of more than 300,000 new cases. President Joe Biden spoke to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and pledged that the U.S. would immediately help India with the crisis.
