“Determined To Help India”, Says Joe Biden Amid Covid Surge

Washington:

US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have assured India and its folks of offering all help, together with urgently sending vital medical life-saving provides and gear, to help the country combat the lethal coronavirus disaster.

“Simply as India despatched help to the USA as our hospitals had been strained early within the pandemic, we’re decided to assist India in its time of want,” Joe Biden mentioned in a tweet.

Simply as India despatched help to the USA as our hospitals had been strained early within the pandemic, we’re decided to assist India in its time of want. https://t.co/SzWRj0eP3y

— President Biden (@POTUS) April 25, 2021

The President was spending his weekend at his dwelling in Delaware however is believed to be following up the developments in India.

“The US is working carefully with the Indian authorities to quickly deploy further help and provides throughout an alarming COVID-19 outbreak. As we offer help, we pray for the folks of India -including its brave healthcare staff,” Ms Harris mentioned in a tweet.

The U.S. is working carefully with the Indian authorities to quickly deploy further help and provides throughout an alarming COVID-19 outbreak. As we offer help, we pray for the folks of India-including its brave healthcare staff.

— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) April 25, 2021

The tweets are the primary reactions by the highest American management after the current outbreak of lethal COVID19 pandemic in India. The 2 have been criticizsed by buddies of India within the US, together with a few of their very own celebration leaders, for sluggish response to the American assist to their pure ally.

Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman mentioned she has been in shut contact with Overseas Secretary Harshvardhan Shringla and India’s Ambassador to US Taranjit Singh Sandhu in current days on the difficulty.

“The American folks stand in solidarity with our buddies in India throughout these tough occasions. We’re quickly offering therapeutics, ventilators, PPE, uncooked materials for vaccines, and extra,” Ms Sherman mentioned.

Earlier on Sunday, US Nationwide Safety Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke to his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval throughout which the White Home introduced that it’s urgently sending medical provides and gear to avoid wasting lives in India.

The Indian-American neighborhood, which had been important of the Biden administration up to now, welcomed the transfer.

“Nice to see our US India partnership at work at this important time,” Indiaspora mentioned after Biden’s tweet.

“Good first steps,” Indian-American Democratic bundler Shekar Narasimhan mentioned after Sullivan introduced particulars of the help to India. In a tweet, he described it as “shifting the needle”.

“I’m additionally relying on personal and company actions to make a distinction. Many have a giant stake in India and it”s not simply Indian Individuals,” he mentioned.

India’s Ambassador to US Sandhu thanked each US Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Sullivan for his or her immediate response. “Thanks Sullivan in your attain out and help. We’ll combat the worldwide pandemic by our collective motion!” he mentioned in a tweet.

“Thanks Secretary Blinken in your solidarity and help. Collectively, we’ll combat the worldwide pandemic!” Sandhu mentioned in one other tweet.

Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna, Congressional India Caucus Vice Chair and Member of the Home Armed Companies Committee, applauded the Biden administration.

“Worldwide cooperation and humanitarian help are the hallmarks of a very progressive international coverage. Within the face of apocalyptic numbers of COVID-19 circumstances & new variants exploding in India, I applaud the Biden administration’s choice to place folks over earnings and supply further Private Protecting Gear (PPE), oxygen, and different medical provides to India,” Ro Khanna mentioned.

“I’m additionally happy to see the deployment of uncooked supplies for India to supply extra vaccines and USAID”s work with the CDC to expedite the mobilisation of emergency assets for India by the International Fund. This have to be performed with the utmost velocity and urgency,” he mentioned.

Mr Khanna mentioned the Biden administration can nonetheless do extra, like give India “our stockpile” of AstraZeneca vaccines that will not be used within the US and have already opened as much as Mexico and Canada. “And we must always facilitate the Indian diaspora in America to assist help hospitals in India.”

The Indian-American Congressman mentioned the administration must also name on Pfizer and Moderna to offer an mental property waiver for six months to a yr as India grapples with the COVID-19 disaster. It should purchase them an inordinate quantity of goodwill in one of many largest rising markets, he added.

“The White Home must also convene Indian enterprise leaders to make the case for why that is in these corporations” long-term strategic curiosity. Many Indian American enterprise leaders resembling Vinod Khosla are pleased to make the case to them why this can be a good enterprise choice. Mr. Khosla has dedicated to financially assist any hospitals in India in want of provides and also will be talking with the India Caucus management to debate what else might be performed to help,” Mr Khanna mentioned.

He mentioned he’s trying ahead to becoming a member of the India Caucus management on a name with Indian Ambassador to US Taranjit Singh Sandhu to debate what further steps the US can take to assist India throughout this “extremely tough time”.

“It is a very powerful time for the Indian folks and underscores the continued risk of COVID-19. These new strains of the virus are gravely alarming and will pose a risk right here in America and throughout the globe if we don’t do all we will to include the virus and its new variants,” he mentioned.

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