The International Diamond Manufacturers Association (IDMA) and the World Diamond Council (WDC) issued a joint call last week to members of the diamond industry and trade, urging them to join in contributing to the Gem & Jewellery National Relief Foundation (GJNRF), which will provide food packages to the families of Covid-infected workers in the diamond cutting and polishing centres in Gujarat.
GJNRF is also seeking funds to assist the local health authorities provide services to Covid-19 patients in India’s diamond production hub. This includes finance for the acquisition of medical supplies, including oxygen generators, which are in short supply in parts of the country.
The joint call for aid comes in response to an unprecedentedly high number of Covid-19 infections and deaths in Gujarat, and notably in the cities of Surat and Ahmedabad, where an overwhelming majority of the world’s diamonds are cut and polished. With a current daily tally of almost 400,000 new infections throughout the country, the city of Surat has reported many hundreds of casualties in the past week alone.
“Our colleagues in India are at war,” declared IDMA President Ronnie VanderLinden. “It is fighting a cruel but invisible enemy that is infecting huge numbers and kills hundreds of people in the state of Gujarat, and many thousands in the country at large.”
“We call upon the global diamond industry to join hands and help India fight this terrible disease by donating funds generously,” WDC President Edward Asscher said. “Donations can be sent to the GJNRF, a long-established relief fund that is run by the country’s Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC).”
“I urge you to donate because our country desperately needs all the help it can find,” GJEPC Chairman Colin Shah stated. “To be a platform of action, solutions, and hope, we are working tirelessly through the GJNRF. In these trying times, can I count on your support? Any contribution from your end will be of great help!”
The GJNRF bank account details for contributions for Covid-19 relief aid are as follows:
Bank: Bank of India
Branch: Opera House, Mumbai
Account number: 07610100019910
Indian Financial System Code (IFSC): BKID0000076
Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) code: 400013045
SWIFT: BKIDINBBOPH
Email to confirm donation: gjnrf_off@hotmail.com
Email for further inquiries: hnm502@hotmail.com