In the middle of the second wave of the pandemic, the government has set up a COVID-19 help desk to control and quickly settle concerns emerging in international trade

Presently India received support from its neighbouring nations to battle the unprecedented health crisis, Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday notified that the Centre has set up a COVID-19 help desk. The Union Minister apprised this help desk will help to monitor and swiftly resolve issues appearing in international trade. “For timely support & information on import & export queries, the trade community can access the help desk,” Piyush Goyal added.

The circular shared by the Union Minister read, “The Department of Commerce, Government of India and DGFT have undertaken to monitor the status of export and import and difficulties being faced by trade stakeholders in view of the surge of COVID-19 cases.” The circular further notified that the DGFT has accordingly operationalised a COVID-19 Help Desk to support and seek suitable resolutions to issues arising in respect of International Trade. 

COVID-19: Assistance emits in from the US, UK, EU, France & Germany 

As India suffers the uncertain health crisis as the COVID-19 second wave grasps the country, global support in the form of oxygen supplies, ventilators, raw material for vaccines, PPE kits and oxygen concentrators have started drenching in. On Sunday, the United States agreed to send primary raw materials to India and demanded manufacturing anti-Coronavirus vaccines.

United States

US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have ensured India and its people of rendering all aid, including essentially giving medical life-saving supplies and equipment, to boost the country’s struggle with the deadly Coronavirus crisis. Asserting that just as India had sent support to the US early in the pandemic, Joe Biden said, “We are determined to help India in its time of need.” The President was spending his weekend at his home in Delaware but is supposed to be following up on the improvements in India.

United Kingdom

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson published on Sunday that “vital medical equipment, including hundreds of oxygen concentrators and ventilators, is being fulfilled in India to strengthen efforts to prevent the tragic loss of life from this terrible virus.” Shipment is assumed to reach India by Tuesday. Johnson recently cancelled his India visit due to a flood of coronavirus infections.

France

France has proposed to transfer a ‘notable amount of oxygen respiratory equipment to India in the coming days to help the country venture with the COVID-19 crisis there. The support will also include ventilators, the office of French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday.

Macron also sent a note of solidarity to India facing a resurgence of COVID-19 cases. “France is with you in this struggle, which forbears no one. We stand ready to provide our support,” the President assured.  

Germany

German Chancellor Angela Merkel also conferred her assistance to India during the health crisis. Merkel said on Sunday that her government was developing emergency relief for India as the country wrestles with a destructive surge in COVID-19 cases.

“To the people of India, I want to express my sympathy for the terrible suffering that COVID-19 has again brought over your communities,” Merkel said in a message shared on Twitter by her spokesman Steffen Seibert.

EU

Furthermore, European Union (EU) has also agreed to assist India. The European Commission initiated its EU Civil Protection Mechanism and is attempting to supply oxygen and medicine to India after getting a request from New Delhi.

“Alarmed by the epidemiological situation in India. We are ready to support,” Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on Twitter on Sunday.

“The EU executive is already coordinating with EU countries that are ready to provide urgently needed oxygen and medicine rapidly,” European Commission for humanitarian aid Janez Lenarcic wrote on Twitter.

Earlier, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had expressed solidarity with India and tried to support the country in fighting the crisis.