The passage of the resolution came just a day after the US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced $41 million more in assistance…reports Asian Lite News
The House of Representatives passed a resolution on Tuesday calling for urgently facilitating assistance to India to help it fight the second wave of Covid-19 epidemic.
The resolution, which is non-binding and expresses the sense of the House, was introduced by the Democratic and Republican co-chairs of the House India caucus and also expresses bipartisan solidarity with India.
“The resolution stands with the people of India as they collectively work to stem the spread of Covid-19,” said Congressman Brad Sherman, a Democrat. “The US must work with our partners around the world to quell the virus everywhere it persists.”
Steve Chabot, the Republican co-chair, said, “India’s Covid-19 second wave has caused immense suffering, both in India and among the Indian-American community many of whose members have family in India. Our close ties to India and India’s support for us early in the pandemic call for our support. As case rates continue to decline, we must help them finish the battle against the second wave and win the war against Covid-19 altogether.”
The resolution “recognises the efforts of the administration to deliver urgently needed medical supplies and vaccine raw materials to India; (and) urges the administration to facilitate private, in-kind medical supply donations to India and work to deliver additional, urgently needed medical supplies to India, including oxygen generator plants and a cryogenic oxygen tanker and containers.”
The passage of the resolution came just a day after the US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced $41 million more in assistance, taking up the total to $200 million, in addition to $500 million of supplies and relief.
While criticised for being slow to mobilise support for India, over the course of May, the U.S. had provided – as per official estimates – over $100 million in government assistance and a total of over $500 million in assistance including individual and private sector contributions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also spoken with U.S. President Joe Biden as well as Vice President Kamala Harris on the assistance India needed and the U.S.’s plans to share its excess vaccines.
