India Is My Home, Is Bleeding: Priyanka Sets up COVID Relief Fund

In a video, she talked about the urgency of the situation in India as the country battles the second COVID wave

Actor Priyanka Chopra urges all to donate to COVID relief for India

(Photo Courtesy: Instagram)

Priyanka Chopra announced that she's set up a fundraiser in association with the non-profit Give India, to aid the country during the current COVID crisis. Urging everyone to contribute, she informed that the money will all go towards improving the healthcare infrastructure in India, medical supplies, and better vaccination. India has been struggling because of a shortage in health facilities like hospital beds, oxygen, and even vaccines, as cases continue to rise.

In a video posted on social media, she talked about the urgency of the situation in India, and the need for more resources. "Why do we need to care? Why is it so urgent right now? I am sitting in London and hearing from my friends and family in India about how hospitals are at capacity, there are no rooms in ICUs, ambulances are too busy, oxygen supply is less, crematoriums having mass cremations because the volume of death is so much. India is my home and India is bleeding," she said.

She went on to say, "And we, as a global community, need to care. And I'll tell you why we need to care: Because unless everyone is safe, no one is safe. And I understand a lot of people must be angry thinking about why we are in this place in the first place? Why is this happening? Well, we'll address that. We'll address that after we stop the urgency."

In a statement, she reiterated the urgency of the matter citing the fact that people are 'dying in record numbers'. "Whatever you can spare, truly makes a difference. Nearly 63 million people follow me on here, if even 100,000 of you donate $10, that’s $1 Million, and that’s huge," the statement read.

Priyanka Chopra's statement on her social media

Priyanka is currently in London due to work commitments, with husband Nick Jonas, and she wrote, 'an ocean between us makes no difference' when it comes to the effect and spread of the virus. Adding that she and Nick have been doing their part and will continue to do so, the statement concluded with, "No one is safe unless everyone is safe. It’s so heartening to see so many people stepping up to help in so many ways. We need to beat this virus, and to do that requires ALL of us."

Earlier, Priyanka had also asked Joe Biden to provide India with aid saying they'd ordered more vaccines than they needed.