torsdag 6. mai 2021

The world sent India millions in Covid aid. Why is it not reaching those who need it most?

As India's Covid-19 crisis tipped past breaking point last month, dozens of countries pledged critical aid.
Planeloads of ventilators, oxygen supplies and antiviral drugs began arriving last week, with photos showing massive parcels being unloaded at New Delhi airport.

There's just one problem: for many days, much of the cargo sat in airport hangars as hospitals on the ground pleaded for more provisions. Medical workers and local officials are still reporting the same devastating shortages that have strained the health care system for weeks now -- raising questions, even among foreign donors, of where the aid is going. In a US State Department news briefing on Friday, a reporter asked where the US aid was, demanding "accountability for US taxpayers' money," according to the briefing transcript. "Is there anything being done to check on how it is being distributed, the aid that we are sending?" the reporter asked.