Tag: COVIDAID

Categories
-Top News India News UAE News

Emirates flies 100 tonnes of relief cargo to India free of charge

Under the Emirates India Humanitarian Airbridge, Emirates donated cargo capacity to transport essential supplies such as relief tents and thousands of oxygen cylinders…reports Asian Lite News

Emirates SkyCargo flew 100 tonnes of relief materials free of charge from Dubai to India in May to support the Indian community to battle the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the Emirates India Humanitarian Airbridge, Emirates donated cargo capacity to transport essential supplies such as relief tents and thousands of oxygen cylinders and concentrators on flights to Indian destinations.

“Emirates is deeply connected and committed to India. The Emirates India Humanitarian Airbridge was our contribution to assist the Indian community fight the second wave of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. We are heartened that India is overcoming the virus and we are honoured to have supported the efforts of partners by donating much needed air cargo capacity for moving essential goods quickly and reliably into nine Indian cities,” said Nabil Sultan, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo.

“The Emirates India humanitarian airbridge confirms the important role that is being played by the private sector worldwide, for providing assistance to millions of people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This airbridge done with Emirates, confirms the strong partnership and commitment of the two Dubai entities in facilitating the humanitarian action of the international organisations and United Nations agencies operating within IHC,” said Giuseppe Saba, CEO of the IHC.

“IHC has embraced the Sustainable Development Goal ‘Partnership’ and is very proud to have partnered with Emirates SkyCargo and the International humanitarian community for the extraordinary efforts done for responding to the requirements due to the pandemic in addition to other emergencies,” he added.

Emirates set up the India Humanitarian Airbridge in early May 2021 to boost the transportation of urgent medical and relief items to India by offering cargo capacity on its flights from Dubai to India.

The first shipment under the Airbridge initiative flew from Dubai to Delhi on 13 May and comprised 12 tonnes of multi-purpose tent equipment for field hospitals sent by the World Health Organisation through the IHC.

ALSO READ: UAE takes part in coalition meet against Daesh

Categories
-Top News India News USA

US gives additional $41mn for India’s Covid fight

Representative image (Source INN)

The assistance will support access to COVID-19 testing, pandemic-related mental health services, timely referrals to medical services, and access to healthcare…reports Asian Lite News

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) on Monday announced $41 million in support to help India respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthen the country’s preparedness for COVID-19 and future health emergencies.

India came to the assistance of the United States during this country’s time of need, and now the United States stands with the people of India as they continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, said a USAID statement on Monday.

This assistance will support access to COVID-19 testing, pandemic-related mental health services, timely referrals to medical services, and access to healthcare in remote areas, it stated.

Through this additional funding, USAID will continue to partner with India to strengthen healthcare supply chains and electronic health information systems, support its vaccination efforts, and mobilize and coordinate private sector relief, the statement added.

Prior to the additional funding announced on Monday, USAID has contributed more than $200 million for India’s COVID-19 relief and response efforts since the pandemic began, it said further.

This announcement by US’s aid agency comes on the day when senior American lawmakers in the US House of Representatives urged the Biden administration to facilitate private, in-kind medical supply donations to India.

Lawmakers also called upon the US federal government to work to deliver additional, urgently needed medical supplies to India, including oxygen generator plants and a cryogenic oxygen tanker and containers.

The bipartisan resolution introduced by Congressmen Brad Sherman and Steve Chabot, co-chairs of the India Caucus, stands with the people of India as they collectively work to stem the spread of Covid-19 throughout the country.

Earlier this month, several US lawmakers had urged the Biden administration to ensure India receives more COVID-19 vaccine supplies and medical aid.

On June 21, the White House announced the allocation plan for 55 million of the 80 million doses of America’s own vaccine supply to the world that included 16 million for Asia that includes India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and others. (INN)

ALSO READ: Biden talks tough on Iran’s N-programme

Categories
-Top News Canada India News

Trudeau urges Canadians to help India in Covid fight

Justin Trudeauv

Earlier, Canadian government has contributed $10 million for supporting India with therapeutics and ventilators….reports Asian Lite News

Showing solidarity with India at a time when it is faced with the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday encouraged Canadians to help India.

At a time when Canada continues to struggle with COVID-19, Trudeau explained that Canadians cannot ignore the world’s more vulnerable nations and that they must look beyond national borders to help in any way they can, he said in an interview with ET Canada.

“Even as we are facing challenges with certain parts of the country, much higher case-loads than we’d want, and I.C.U.s getting to their limits, we still have ways that we need to look to help out others around the world,” said Trudeau.

On being asked as to what was on his mind when people were losing their lives because of oxygen supply he said, “It is just heartbreaking. Nobody wants to see just the terrible images and the tragedies that we’re hearing from loved ones and family members.”

Sharing the steps the Canadian government is taking to help India during this difficult time, he said the Canadian government has contributed $10 million for supporting India with therapeutics and ventilators.

“We stepped up with $10 million. We have sent therapeutics and ventilators and shipments of equipment to India because we know what a devastating situation it is. But we also know this pandemic doesn’t end anywhere until it ends everywhere,” Trudeau stated.

Recalling the tough time after his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, contracted the virus back in 2020, Trudeau admitted that made it “really real” for himself and their family.

After recently receiving his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, the prime minister says “it was an amazing feeling” knowing we’re one step closer to a sense of normalcy and he encourages all Canadians to do the same.(India NewsNetwork)

ALSO READ: ‘Oxygen for India’: Canada planning more aid

Categories
-Top News COVID-19 India News

40 countries supplied Covid-19 equipment to India: MEA

All medical supplies were routed through the Indian Red Cross Society, reports Asian Lite News

As many as 40 countries have supplied Covid-19 related equipment and material to India through Indian Red Cross Society, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.

“A large number of countries have expressed solidarity with us in our fight against the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic,” MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

With regard to supply of vaccines from the US, he said, “We remain engaged with US entities on the prospect of procuring vaccines from the US and also, perhaps, manufacturing them in India subsequently.”

The plane carrying the medical aid has reached New Delhi with oxygen concentrators & ventilators from Switzerland(Twitter)

According to the Spokesperson, this will lead to increased vaccine availability in the country.

The MEA Spokesperson also said that India has noted the recent announcement of the US government about its intention to make some vaccines available to other countries.

ALSO READ: Jerusalem violence: UAE to host Arab union meeting

Whether India will be a part of these countries to which the US is likely to supply vaccines, the MEA Spokesperson said, “I don’t have any information on this to share at this moment, but I would like to emphasize that all vaccines that may be procured from abroad would need to be as per our regulatory guidelines.”

SpiceJet airlifted 800 oxygen concentrators from Hong Kong to India(TWITTER)

“I understand that the US has also indicated that any vaccine that it sends abroad would be after obtaining FDA clearance for product quality,” Bagchi said.

On further vaccine supplies from India to abroad, he referred to the April 29 media briefing of Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, where he had said that vaccines produced domestically in India were meant for the vaccination of people in the country. (India News Network)

ALSO READ: UAE renews support for peace and security in Africa

Categories
-Top News Canada India News

‘Oxygen for India’: Canada planning more aid

Markham city’s Frank Scarpitti, who has been to India many times and is very well respected in the Indo-Canadian community, announced to donate $10,000 to the initiative by the ICCC….reports Asian Lite News

The Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC), along with 80-odd community bodies, launched its ‘Oxygen for India marathon fundraiser to collect $2 million to send oxygen equipment to India, even as Ontario announced to send 2,000 more ventilators to the Covid-battered country.

Almost $500,000 was raised during the very first session of the marathon fundraiser on Sunday.

It will be held for three hours every Sunday for four weeks.

Surprisingly, the biggest contribution of $50,000 came from Canada’s native or indigenous Metis people.

“We have similarities with Indians even though we are from different parts of the world. India will be there for us when we need, and we should be there for them now. We will donate $50,000 to the ICCC and do more if needed,” announced David Chartrand, President of the Manitoba Metis Federation.

ICCC president Vijay Thomas said their initiative aims at garnering donations not only from the 1.6 million Indo-Canadian community, but also businesses and cities across Canada.

“The money will be used to send oxygen concentrators and generators and we will find new pathways to send oxygen to India. We want to ensure that oxygen reaches tier 2 and 3 cities and towns before they get severely hit by the virus,” Thomas said.

ALSO READ:Policy reset can ensure India leads fightback against SARS2

Top political leaders, including the Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Mayors, business owners and medical professionals took part in the marathon fundraiser.

Ford announced that 2,000 additional ventilators are being sent to India, in addition to 3,000 already delivered.

“The whole plane-load of Air Canada is filled from front to back and arriving (in India) by Tuesday with all sorts of supplies. The people of India have been there for us and we will be there for them,” the Ontario Premier said, referring to India’s delivery of one million vaccine doses to Canada earlier this year.

Markham city’s Frank Scarpitti, who has been to India many times and is very well respected in the Indo-Canadian community, announced to donate $10,000 to the initiative by the ICCC.

The mayors of Brampton and Mississauga, the outlying cities which are home to the biggest concentration of the Indo-Canadian community in Canada, urged their residents to donate liberally to the initiative.

ALSO READ:Policy reset can ensure India leads fightback against SARS2