US President Joe Biden on Sunday broke his silence on America’s assistance to India as the country is currently experiencing a surge in COVID-19 infections. He said that the United States will reciprocate the efforts made by India when the pandemic started.
Biden wrote on Twitter, “Just as India sent assistance to the United States as our hospitals were strained early in the pandemic, we are determined to help India in its time of need” while retweeting Jake Sullivan, the US National Security Advisor.
The tweet was shortly followed by Vice President Kamala Harris addressing the international assistance being provided by the US. Harris wrote about the country dispatching “additional support and supplies”.
The tweet said, “The U.S. is working closely with the Indian government to rapidly deploy additional support and supplies during an alarming COVID-19 outbreak. As we provide assistance, we pray for the people of India—including its courageous healthcare workers.”
Also Read: US working closely to provide India help in COVID crisis: White House
US leadership had come under criticism by close allies of India for not responding in a slow manner to the worsening COVID-19 situation in India. Moreover, the US Chambers of Commerce and other non-federal bodies were urging Biden for decisive action.
Before Biden and Harris wrote about the US supporting India, the country’s senior officials announced that India will “immediately” start receiving the supply of medical equipment such as ventilators, testing kits, protective equipment in addition to the raw materials required to produce COVID-19 vaccines.
