The UK church is being praised for its response to aid India with its current acute lack of oxygen as a result of the surge in coronavirus cases.

The country has recorded nearly 370,000 new coronavirus cases and more than 3,4000 deaths.

UK-based charity, Feed The Hungry, raised over £9,000 within hours for their ‘Oxygen for India’ campaign. The money will go to Kachhwa Christian Hospital, near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, which serves people from 90 local villages.

Gwyn Williams, Operations Director for Feed The Hungry said: “The UK church is a mighty force for good, in both this country – as we have seen especially over the last year – and overseas. When the church steps up to help crisis situations many miles away, we know God is at the heart of this work and will multiply our offerings.”

There have been nearly 20 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 in India since the start of the pandemic, second only to the US, which has numbered more than 32.4 million. More than 218,000 people have died.

The UK government has committed to help India and has sent a further 1,000 ventilators. Moreover, pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has committed to donate more than £50 million worth of medicine to the country.

Gwyn Williams, Operations Director for Feed The Hungry says, “What is happening in India is devastating. We’re so grateful for the response we’ve seen from supporters in such a short space of time, but the need is still there. Whether in Coventry, or Delhi, our heart is to care for those in need. We can all follow Christ’s call to ‘love our neighbours’ and fulfil the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of others.”