Covid India: Ramadan spirit on display in UAE's support, envoy Pavan Kapoor says

Dubai - Crucial medical aid is being sent to the South Asian nation facing the contagion scourge

Published: Thu 6 May 2021, 9:09 AM

Updated: Thu 6 May 2021, 9:17 AM

By
Anjana Sankar

The spirit of giving and compassion of the Holy month of Ramadan, which started on April 13, is on full display, as the UAE and the Arabian Gulf region rally behind Covid-hit India, the Indian Ambassador to the UAE, Pavan Kapoor, told Khaleej Times in an exclusive interview on Wednesday.

The UAE has sent crucial medical aid to India that is facing an acute shortage of medical oxygen, as the second wave of a new infectious strain of SARS-COV-2, which causes Covid-19, have left some of the most populous states in the country reeling.

India received ventilators, 480 BiPAPs, and other medical supplies from the UAE last week.

Indian Airforce (IAF) personnel has also airlifted empty cryogenic tanks from the UAE to transport liquid oxygen to various states that are facing a severe crunch.

“We appreciate the help and support we've received from the (Arabian) Gulf region. It’s the Holy month of Ramadan and the spirit of giving and this has come wonderfully to India’s aid,” said Kapoor.

“The UAE, our key strategic partner in the (Arabian) Gulf, has led the way and has sent us ventilators and oxygen. They will be sending us medicines also,” he added.

The latest consignment to arrive in India is seven tankers of liquid oxygen sent by DP World, which reached Mundra port in India’s western state of Gujarat, on Tuesday (May 4).

“I’m pleased to say that it has reached Delhi, and, as we speak, it has reached the hospitals in the national capital. This was done by sourcing it with the help of the UAE’s corporate sector,” he added.

On receiving the 140 metric (M) tonnes (T) of oxygen from Abu Dhabi, India’s foreign minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, who is a special invitee to the ongoing G-7 meeting in London, tweeted on Wednesday, “Partners from the extended neighborhood rise to the challenge.”

The ambassador said the leadership of both countries has been constantly in touch to discuss ways to help each other.

He said after the Covid-19 pandemic last year, there have been high-level visits and conversations on how they can help each other. “This year, there was a conversation. We told them what we want and what our requirements are and they are helping in the best way we can.”

He said the corporate sector in the UAE and India have been “tremendous” in their bilateral efforts.

Speaking about help from the international community, the Indian diplomat said the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar governments and also other countries including. But not limited to the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), France and Germany have all come together to help India.

“This shows international solidarity in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. Everyone realises that a pandemic is a kind of an issue where no one is safe till everyone is safe. When you have one-sixth of humanity right now facing this kind of a crisis, it makes sense for everyone to get together and respond to this,” said Kapoor.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, had expressed the country’s keenness to dedicate all resources in support of the efforts currently undertaken by the Indian government to tackle this unprecedented health care crisis.

Earlier, India has acquired 18 empty cryogenic tanks from the UAE and expects to airlift more next week to boost supply chains of life-saving gas.

Adani Group, the Ahmedabad headquartered ports-to-infrastructure Indian conglomerate, secured empty oxygen tanks from Dubai-headquartered Caley Energy. Also, BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi is working to create a supply chain of oxygen tanks and cylinders and is slated to provide more than 440MT of liquid oxygen every month to India, starting this week.

Dubai-based Conares, a steel manufacturing company owned by Indian expatriate Bharat Bhatia, sent 500 oxygen cylinders to help India tackle the shortage of life-saving gas amid its devastating Covid-19 wave.