Ireland responds to COVID-19 surge in India

On foot of the earlier donation of 700 oxygen concentrators, the Government has donated a further 500 concentrators, 2 oxygen generators, and other vital materials to India, which continues to battle with an exponential rise in COVID-19 cases. This additional donation arrived in Delhi airport on Tuesday 4 May.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has received a large volume of queries from members of the public asking how they can help. In response, the Minister of State for Overseas Aid and the Diaspora Colm Brophy, T.D., said:

“Irish people are known to be among the most generous in the world in the face of major global catastrophes. The COVID-19 surge in India is no exception. As we continue to watch distressing scenes of people in India suffering, the response we have received in the Department of Foreign Affairs has been phenomenal. We have received queries from people wishing to make financial donations, as well as specialist medical suppliers wishing to donate equipment.

“The Government is doing all we can to support India, and I am really proud of the response of the Irish people”.

At present, the Indian Authorities are identifying their additional needs, and communicating this to the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism. This group then coordinates and transports the goods as efficiently as possible. Ireland has utilised this mechanism to send two aid flights in the last week.

The Department of Foreign Affairs is unable to make recommendations for how to donate to the response.

The Indian Red Cross is leading the response on the ground.