The European Union on Sunday said it is pooling in resources to respond rapidly to help India's fight against the fast-spreading coronavirus pandemic.
A senior official of the 27-nation powerful bloc said the European Union has already activated its Civil Protection Mechanism to mobilise support for India including supplying urgently needed oxygen and medicines.
Under the mechanism, the EU plays a central role in coordinating its responses to emergencies in Europe and beyond.
As India reels under a massive spike in coronavirus cases, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said the EU stands in "full solidarity" with the people of India.
"Alarmed by the epidemiological situation in India. We are ready to support. The EU is pooling resources to respond rapidly to India's request for assistance via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism," der Leyen said in a tweet.
EU Ambassador to India Ugo Astuto said the European Union, together with its member states, will do its utmost to support India in this difficult moment.
Janez Lenarcic, European Commissioner for Crisis Management in charge of European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid, said the EU's Emergency Response Coordination Centre is coordinating with member states to provide urgently needed oxygen and medicines to India.
"Upon request for assistance by #India, we have activated the #EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The European Union will do its utmost to mobilise assistance to support people of India," he tweeted.
"Our #ERCC is already coordinating EU MS that are ready to provide urgently needed #oxygen & medicine rapidly," he said.
The overall objective of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism is to strengthen cooperation between the member states of the grouping in the field of civil protection.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said her government is "urgently" preparing a "mission of support" for India as it battles a massive spike in coronavirus cases that has triggered a severe shortage of medical oxygen in several states.
In a message, Merkel said Germany stands in solidarity with India in the "common fight" against the pandemic.
"To the people of India I want to express my sympathy on the terrible suffering that COVID-19 has again brought over your communities," Merkel said.
"The fight against the pandemic is our common fight. Germany stands in solidarity with India and is urgently preparing a mission of support," added.
Her message was shared on Twitter by German Ambassador to India Walter J Lindner.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani too expressed solidarity with India as it reels under the second wave of the pandemic.
"Our hearts go out to the Indian people & government as they fight the horrendous outbreak of COVID. On behalf of the Afghan people & government, we send our condolences to the families who lost their loved ones & wish a quick recovery to those who are suffering from the virus," Ghani tweeted.
Afghan foreign minister Mohammed Haneef Atmar said India has the prayers and support of all those nations that it has assisted generously with COVID-19 vaccines.
"Our hearts & prayers go to all the great people of India at this time of national struggle against Covid-19. India has the prayers and support of all those nations that it has assisted generously with COVID vaccines.
"India will come out of it even stronger," he said.
India is struggling with the second wave of coronavirus infection and hospitals in several states are reeling under a shortage of medical oxygen and beds in view of a rising number of COVID-19 cases.
