Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra honour frontline workers, say we need to fight coronavirus together
Curated by pop star Lady Gaga, the One World: Together At Home virtual concert brought together celebrities such as Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, David and Victoria Beckham, Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah Winfrey, Paul McCartney, and Taylor Swift to honour coronavirus frontline workers.
Superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra Jonas urged people to fight the coronavirus pandemic with unity, as they joined artistes from around the world for a virtual event to support healthcare workers battling it out against COVID-19.
Curated by pop star Lady Gaga, the One World: Together At Home virtual concert was organised on Saturday by the World Health Organization (WHO) and international advocacy organisation Global Citizen.
In a one-minute video clip, Shah Rukh said India was facing “one of its greatest challenges in our history” and with a population of over a billion citizens, COVID-19 was “bound to have a negative impact on the country”.
“Like it is impacting the rest of the world too. Battling this crisis is going to take its toll, and this is the time to take action.”
“Right now, I'm working with a team of people to provide protective equipment, food, and essentials to patients, hospitals, and homes. But, to beat this worldwide pandemic, the world has to, must come together,” he said.
The Fan star said it was important for people to contact world and private sector leaders, and ask them to continue to contribute to WHO's Solidarity Response Fund.
“So they can help to continue the hardest of areas and people who desperately need it. India, planet earth, we are one world. I love you, stay strong,” the actor added.
Devastating impact
Priyanka said the impact of COVID-19 across the globe had been “unimaginable”, but its effect was “particularly devastating” for the 70 million people displaced in camps and shelters around the world, including facilities in the US.
“I have witnessed first-hand some of the overcrowded and unlivable conditions in refugee camps. Social distancing is simply not an option. To curb the spread of COVID-19 in these specific communities, the needs are basic: healthcare, clean water, and sanitation.
“Global Citizen and WHO are two organisations that I'm personally very proud to stand alongside to fight against COVID-19. In the fight to end this crisis, we truly can't afford to lose anyone behind,” the actor, who is in Los Angeles, said.
The star-studded line-up included the likes of Adam Lambert, Billie Joe Armstrong, Camila Cabello, Chris Martin, David and Victoria Beckham, Ellen DeGeneres, Idris and Sabrina Elba, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Hudson, Lilly Singh, Oprah Winfrey, Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, and Vishal Mishra among others.
(Edited by Teja Lele Desai)