SINGAPORE - The Singapore Red Cross (SRC) has launched a fund-raising appeal for India as the country battles a devastating second wave of Covid-19.

India registered almost 380,000 new cases on Thursday (April 29), the highest single-day total in the world. More than 18 million people have been infected and the death toll has surpassed 200,000.

SRC aims to deliver assistance and support communities in India by providing desperately needed medical equipment such as ventilators, oxygen cylinders and oxygen concentrators.

Five ventilators are already on their way to community hospitals in New Delhi from SRC through the Indian Red Cross Society.

More than $200,000 was raised in just a day from SRC's online and offline platforms and Give.asia.

No target has been set for the fund-raising effort and Mr Benjamin William, chief executive and secretary-general of SRC, assured that there would be a proper accounting of all donations.

He was confident that Singaporeans would respond generously to the appeal.

SRC will work with the Indian Red Cross Society and other partners to ensure that all aid would be channelled to hospitals treating the worst-affected communities, he said.

Mr William was speaking on Thursday at a media conference at Red Cross House which included representatives from the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) and the Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association (Lisha).

Donations raised via the India Health Relief Fund, which was announced on April 26 by SICCI and Lisha, will be directed to SRC's public appeal.

Lisha chairman Raja Kumar Chandra shared that it has applied for a tent to be set up at Little India Arcade for people to make donations.

Urging people to lend a helping hand, Mr Johnson Davasagayam, CEO of SICCI, described the situation in India as a "humanitarian crisis of historic proportions".

How to donate?

Several organisations, including crowdfunding platforms, are helping in garnering relief aid for India. These include Give.asia, SICCI and SRC.

SRC: Online donation can be made through redcross.sg/indiacovid19response.

For cheque donations, they are payable to "Singapore Red Cross Society" and are to be posted to Red Cross House, 15 Penang Lane, Singapore 238486. Leave your name, postal address and write "India COVID19 Response" at the back of the cheque. This appeal ends on June 28, 2021.

Alternatively, you could PayNow to UEN S86CC0370EFR2. Indicate "India COVID19 Response" in the remarks.

SICCI: SICCI DBS Bank Acct: 0720267338, Pay Now: UEN No is 193700026GIBD

GIVE.asia: Individuals can donate to any of the fund-raising campaigns at this website or start their own campaign.

Correction note: In an earlier version of this article, SRC listed its unique entity number as UEN S86CC0370EGEN. It has since clarified that the number should be UEN S86CC0370EFR2.