| As an organization that works with South Asians in the United States, SAALT calls upon the Biden Harris Administration and Congress to take immediate action to address the global health crisis unfolding in India and across South Asia as a result of the COVID--19 pandemic. India has been averaging over 2,000 reported COVID-19 related deaths daily since late March. On Saturday, April 24th, India reported 324,000 new infections – a global record. Whatever existing medical infrastructure has collapsed, as documented by haunting images of hospitals running out of beds, desperate pleas for oxygen on social media, and news of overwhelmed crematoriums and graveyards. And this is just what is being reported. The Indian government's ongoing mistreatment of minority populations in India makes it clear that marginalized communities are at an even greater risk of dying due to the pandemic. South Asians in the United States have deep concerns about what is unraveling across India. SAALT joins the calls to action being made by many in the US and around the world to ask the Biden Harris Administration to: - Ensure access to and equal distribution of any raw materials needed for vaccine production, without threat of sanction
- Ensure the immediate and equitable export and distribution of oxygen, oxygen generators, and other desperately needed medical supplies.
- Ensure that the Indian government is practicing ethical leadership that centers public health including equitable care, and access to vaccines and testing for all people. Individuals historically marginalized and excluded in India, including Dalit, Pasmanda, Adivasi, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, and Kashmiri communities, must receive equal access.
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