India has started sending out masks, gloves, disinfectants and other items to the neighbouring South Asian nations to help them deal with the COVID-19 pandemic as promised by India Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his video-conference with other SAARC leaders last Sunday.

Notwithstanding huge domestic demand for such items in the wake of the outbreak, New Delhi has already responded to the requests from Bhutan and Maldives.

Similar requests from other countries are also being processed by the Indian government, Raveesh Kumar, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said at a press briefing in New Delhi.

“Prime Minister announced several proposals (in his video-conference with other SAARC leaders). You are aware that the initiative has been appreciated by several countries, including the SAARC member States. We are moving very fast on these announcements.”

In his video conference with SAARC members, Modi had proposed to set up a SAARC Emergency Response Fund for Covid-19, with an initial US $10 million contribution from India.

“On the emergency fund, this is already up and running,” Kumar, the MEA spokesperson, said on Thursday. “We have received many requests from the other SAARC countries for assistance in the form of masks, gloves, disinfectants and other items. The quantum of requests received is already above $ 1 million. Supplies to Bhutan and Maldives have already been dispatched. Other requests are under various stages of process,” he said.