Image by AP Photo/Israel Leal
While it hasn’t received a lot of media coverage in the US, the 2010 hurricane season has been unusually hard on Mexico. Record rain levels and two major storms in recent weeks have flooded Mexico’s southern states, affecting an estimated 500,000 people.
With a new contribution of $200,000, the American Red Cross is now providing $400,000 to support the Mexican Red Cross response. The Mexican Red Cross has identified three distribution sites for kitchen sets and cleaning kits to be distributed with American Red Cross funds and is now conducting assessments to select beneficiaries.
To date, the Mexican Red Cross has distributed over 2,700 tons of relief items in affected states. Nearly 50 volunteers from branches around the country, in addition to 200 volunteers from Veracruz, have been mobilized and are supporting the field operations.
The American Red Cross has a long history of both providing and receiving support from the Mexican Red Cross. Notably, the Mexican Red Cross national Disaster Operations Center was recently built through the support of the American Red Cross.