Chaos and despair are rising in India as an unprecedented second wave of COVID-19 has now seen millions of people infected with the virus and over 200,000 people dead since the start of the pandemic. We reiterate our call to world leaders: no one is safe until everyone is safe.

As many countries look to chart a route out of the pandemic we applaud the actions of international actors who have made available additional resources to the Indian government. Yet we are reminded that without the essential and delicate combination of adequate resources and political leadership, global efforts to beat the virus quickly deteriorate to the detriment of all.

Indeed, we urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi to not deflect the seriousness of the crisis India is facing. We condemn the recent actions of the prime minister for placing blame back on its suffering citizens and trying to downscale the gravity of the situation by forbidding public discourse on it.

With the eyes of the world on India, our thoughts are with the families of the deceased as well as all essential workers who put their life in danger to handle this crisis.

The Bureau of Liberal International