Japan sent humanitarian aid to Mexico following the severe flood that has affected five states and left at least 76 dead and dozens missing.
“Today, the Japanese government has decided to send emergency aid to Mexico to support the victims of the floods that affected five states,” Japan’s ambassador to Mexico, Kozo Honsei, said Tuesday. “I hope the people find relief and recover soon. Mexico and Japan are friends in adversity,” he added.
According to an official statement from the Japanese government, the decision responds to a specific request from the Mexican government. The aid package, provided through the Japan International Cooperation Agency, includes sanitary supplies that are intended for the communities hardest hit by torrential rains and flooding.
In addition to granting emergency aid, Japan has expressed its support at a diplomatic level. On Oct. 16, Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya sent a message of solidarity to his Mexican counterpart, Juan Ramón De La Fuente. Iwaya expressed his regret over the emergency situation, saying it caused him “great sadness to hear the news that many precious lives had been lost due to the floods.”
This is not the first time Japan has sent aid to Mexico in response to a natural disaster. In November 2007, the Japanese government sent aid for flooding in the states of Tabasco and Chiapas.
The torrential rains and flooding that affected the states of Veracruz, Hidalgo, Puebla, Querétaro and San Luis Potosí between Oct. 6 and 11 left a catastrophic scenario. According to official numbers, as of Oct. 20, the death toll stands at 76 with 31 individuals still reported missing.
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Veracruz has the highest number of fatalities, totaling 34, with 18 people still unaccounted for. Hidalgo has reported 22 deaths and 8 individuals missing, followed by Puebla with 19 deaths and 5 missing. Querétaro recorded one death due to flooding.
Federal authorities are continuing their rescue and evacuation efforts as they conduct a census of the damage.
With reports from La Jornada and Infobae
