Workers prepare beds to set up a COVID-19 isolation center in Srinagar, India

COVID-19 Crisis Support in India

As the COVID-19 crisis in India escalates, the thoughts of the University of Chicago community are with our friends and colleagues in India. Our faculty, students, colleagues, and friends around the world have profound professional and personal ties in India, and feel the impact of the current situation deeply. Our Center in Delhi and its staff are physically located in the heart of the crisis. As Vice President for National Laboratories, Science Strategy, Innovation, and Global Initiatives at the University of Chicago, I express our wishes for speedy improvements and a return to sustained health and safety in the region.

During this difficult time, we recognize that members of the University of Chicago community are looking for ways to help. On the page linked below, we have gathered a set of opportunities identified in recent press articles and other external sources as contributing to the procurement of resources and relief for hospitals and COVID care facilities in India or supplying aid directly to affected residents. Some members of the University of Chicago community have also organized internally to provide direct aid through known connections. Should you wish to connect regarding a different type of local aid or to learn more about how you can help, the Center in Delhi is a resource. You can always reach the Delhi Center staff at delhi@uchicago.edu. In addition, should you know of international students at the University of Chicago who are struggling, please refer them to the many support resources available through the University as well as through their individual school or academic program.

As a reminder, before giving money to an organization, please make sure you feel comfortable with it. In the United States, sites like Guidestar and Charity Navigator grade nonprofits on their effectiveness and financial health. For India-based organizations, GuideStar India and GlobalGiving provide guidance on local NGOs.

Sincerely,

Juan de Pablo

Vice President for National Laboratories, Science Strategy, Innovation, and Global Initiatives

Liew Family Professor, Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering

The University of Chicago

Senior Scientist

Argonne National Laboratory


The list below is provided solely for informational purposes and does not constitute an endorsement of the organizations, their views, or their services by the University of Chicago. Please ensure you are comfortable with the resource(s) before making any contributions.

International Organizations

  • UNICEF and the World Health Organization are delivering personal protective equipment kits, oxygen concentrators, diagnostic systems, and other supplies to frontline healthcare workers.
  • AmeriCares, a health-focused relief and development organization, is providing medical equipment, infection-prevention supplies, and community education.
  • Give2Asia is partnering with local nonprofits to deliver emergency medical supplies to frontline workers, meals and rations, and financial support to marginalized families.
  • Give.Asia, a fundraising platform in Singapore, is working with the Singapore Red Cross Society to send ventilators, oxygen concentrators, and oxygen generators to India.
  • Oxygen for India is raising money to provide oxygen cylinders and concentrators free of cost to those who need them but cannot afford them.
  • PATH, a global health nonprofit, is working to procure oxygen supplies and accelerate COVID-19 testing and surveillance.
  • Project HOPE is coordinating with local partners to procure personal protective equipment and other medical equipment for healthcare workers.
  • The American India Foundation is working with local government and hospitals to provide supplies of medical oxygen, beds, protective gear, and meals.
  • The Association for India’s Development, a charity that partners with nonprofits in India, is distributing protective equipment and food to communities left out of government rations.
  • The International Medical Corps is raising money to provide medical supplies, personal protective equipment, sanitation and hygiene supplies, and isolation facilities.
  • The Optical Society of America is partnering with local volunteers and channels in India to distribute pulse oximeters.

India-Based Organizations

  • The Indian Red Cross Society is running blood drives, delivering aid and medical supplies, and providing other essential services in this time of need.
  • Care India is providing personal protective equipment kits and critical medical equipment to hospitals and COVID care facilities.
  • Pratham, a major education NGO, has started a Relief Fund for urgent relief now (oxygen concentrators, PPE, field teams, facilities) as well as for recovery efforts in the coming months. Part of the Relief Fund will also be allocated to the care and medical expenses of workers and volunteers on the frontlines.
  • FromU2Them, a Mumbai nonprofit, is raising money to pay for food and medical supplies in Mumbai.
  • Hasiru Dala and Kashtakari Panchayat, organizations working to improve the lives of waste workers, are raising funds to provide food and medical support for waste pickers and their families.
  • Ketto, a fundraising platform in Mumbai, is shepherding a campaign by hundreds of entrepreneurs to purchase oxygen concentrators.
  • SEEDS, a disaster relief and response organization, is working to augment hospital supplies, set up isolation centers, hold vaccine drives, and provide support services across local communities.
  • Swasth, a healthcare nonprofit, is raising funds to secure and distribute oxygen concentrators across the country.
  • Youth Feed India and Helping Hands Charitable Trust are delivering ration kits that can feed a family of four for 15 days to vulnerable residents of Mumbai.

Affiliated with the University of Chicago