The EU is helping the Indian authorities facing an alarming outbreak of the coronavirus by coordinating offers of assistance from European countries, responding to the request for assistance made on Sunday 25 April from Delhi to the European Civil Protection Mechanism.
“Since then, we have been in contact with the Member States and [third] countries participating in the mechanism to see if they are in a position to provide assistance. Ireland has already confirmed this. The country is providing 700 oxygen concentrators”, said Crisis Management spokesperson Balazs Ujvari on Monday 26 April. He added that the Commission was also “in contact with Paris and Berlin to see if they want to go through the Civil Protection Mechanism”. In this case, the Commission would co-finance 75% of the transport costs.
Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands were among the countries that offered assistance on Sunday. In the coming days, more aid may be confirmed, said Mr Ujvari.
According to him, India had requested “mainly oxygen and Remdésivir antiviral drugs”.
This is the drug from the American company Gilead, bought by the European Commission for more than €1 billion, but which the WHO confirmed on 15 October was not effective against Covid-19 and could have harmful effects (see EUROPE 12583/1).
Belgium, which had purchased the product on 29 October, announced on Sunday evening that it would deliver 9,000 vials worth €3 million to India, according to Development Cooperation Minister Meryame Kitir, quoted in the Belgian press.
Already on Sunday, the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, had stated that she was “alarmed by the epidemiological situation in India” on her Twitter account. She had assured that the EU was ready to provide support, adding: “We stand in full solidarity with the Indian people!”
The European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, announced that the EU Civil Protection Mechanism had been activated. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)