The aid Mexico promised the U.S. to help with victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas will now be redirected back to Mexico after the country was hit by a magnitude 8.1 earthquake that killed 95 people and a hurricane of its own.
The Mexican government announced its decision in a statement on Monday, saying it “unfortunately” wouldn’t be able to provide the aid it had promised Texas because Mexico needed to “channel all available logistical support to the families and communities that have been affected” into its own country.
Last month, the Mexican government released a statement promising help in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.
While President Donald Trump never responded to the country’s offer, Mexico’s foreign secretary had been in communication with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott about the aid and sent a detailed note of its offer to the State Department on Aug. 28.
On Sept. 6, Mexico received word that the U.S. had accepted its offer, but would only need “logistical support” from the country, as the need in Texas had “declined considerably,” according to the statement from Mexico.
While it had to withdraw its promise to help the U.S., the Mexican government expressed sympathy over the devastation in Florida after being struck by Hurricane Irma.
“The Mexican government expresses its full solidarity with Florida given the severe damage done by Hurricane Irma,” the statement said. “Mexico will be alert to developments related to this hurricane in the coming days and hopes that Florida, Texas and Louisiana soon recover from the damage caused by the hurricanes that have struck them.”
Trump has not offered condolences or aid to Mexico in the wake of the country’s two natural disasters, but Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called Mexico’s Foreign Secretary Luis Videgaray on Monday to express sympathy.
“He emphasized … that the U.S. government stands ready to assist our neighbors in Mexico during this difficult time,” a State Department spokesperson told The Los Angeles Times.
