The Oxford India, Hindu, and South Asian societies have launched a fundraiser, which has already beaten its initial target of raising £10,000 by the end of next week.
India has been hit with a devastating second wave of coronavirus, overwhelming hospitals and crematoriums, leaving streets outside medical facilities crowded with the ill. The fundraiser aims “to provide direct and immediate relief for the spiralling COVID-19 crisis”.
New coronavirus cases in India are currently exceeding 300,000 weekly, with over 3,000 deaths each week. In comparison, Brazil, another severely affected country, has not registered more than 100,000 new cases a week since the start of the pandemic. And this does not take into account the large number of people who cannot access Covid-19 testing or those who have died in rural areas.
The crisis, which has been attributed to a new Covid-19 variant, has also left India low on oxygen, particularly problematic as the demand for the oxygen needed for coronavirus patients is greater in India than anywhere else in the world.
Anvee Bhutani, an Oxford student and member of all three societies, appeared on ITV news to discuss the crisis. She commented that “the situation in India is a humanitarian crisis that requires immediate direct aid to prevent mass loss of life. We in the UK are privileged with our access to a reliable and efficient nationalised healthcare system, but this unfortunately is far from the reality in other places around the world. We are calling on the Oxford community with the hope that we’ll be able to join in support and solidarity to provide aid to India during this difficult time. “
The fundraiser has smashed its fundraising goal, having raised over the initial £10,000 target in around 3 days.
You can access the fundraiser here, or find out more about the crisis here.
Image Credits: Oxford India Society, the Oxford South Asian Society and the Oxford Hindu Society on gofundme.