People walk down a flooded street as they evacuate their homes after the area was inundated with flooding from Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Texas
(
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
)
Donald Trump's administration has not yet decided whether it will accept assistance from Mexico to help the victims of a hurricane in Texas.
The Mexican government expressed its "full solidarity" with the people and government of the US and said it had "offered to provide help and cooperation" in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.
Mexico previously provided help in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, with soldiers from the Mexican army serving meals, distributing supplies and conducting medical consultations.
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But while Texas and Louisiana suffered Harvey's destruction, Mr Trump tweeted to assert Mexico would pay for his promised border wall, before going onto attack the NAFTA trade deal.
Footage shows dramatic rescues in Houston after Hurricane Harvey flooding
Responding to the US President's tweets in a statement, Mexico's ministry of foreign affairs reiterated it would "not pay, under any circumstances, for a wall or physical barrier built on US territory along the Mexican border."
The statement went on to say: "The Mexican government takes this opportunity to express its full solidarity with the people and government of the United States as a result of the damages caused by Hurricane Harvey in Texas, and expresses that it has offered to provide help and cooperation to the US government in order to deal with the impact of this natural disaster —as good neighbours should always do in trying times."
The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey
Show all 19
The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey
1/19
A tattered U.S. flag damaged in Hurricane Harvey, flies in Conroe, Texas
Reuters
2/19
Lisa Rehr holds her four-year old son Maximus, after they lost their home to Hurricane Harvey, as they await to be evacuated with their belongings from Rockport, Texas
Reuters
3/19
People line up for food as others rest at the George R. Brown Convention Center
AP Photo/LM Otero
4/19
Volunteers with The American Red Cross register evacuees at the George R. Brown Convention Center
Reuters/Nick Oxford
5/19
Soldiers with the Texas Army National Guard help the residents of Cyprus Creek
Reuters
6/19
Residents wade through floodwater
Reuters/Nick Oxford
7/19
Residents walk along the flooded roadway of Texas 249 as they evacuate their adjacent neighborhoods
EPA
8/19
A man floats past a truck submerged on a freeway flooded by Tropical Storm Harvey on Sunday
AP
9/19
People are rescued by airboat as they evacuate from flood waters from Hurricane Harvey in Dickinson, Texas
Reuters
10/19
James Archiable carries his bike through the flooded intersection at Taylor and Usenet near downtown Houston, Texas
EPA
11/19
A massive sinkhole opened up on a motorway in Rosenburg, a city 25 miles southwest of Houston, Texas
Rosenberg Police
12/19
People are rescued from flood waters from Hurricane Harvey in an armored police mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle in Dickinson, Texas
Reuters
13/19
People are rescued from flood waters from Hurricane Harvey on a boat in Dickinson, Texas
Reuters
14/19
Evacuees are airlifted in a US Coast Guard helicopter after flooding due to Hurricane Harvey inundated neighborhoods in Houston, Texas
Reuters
15/19
Evacuees leave a US Coast Guard helicopter after being rescued from flooding due to Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Texas
Reuters
16/19
Residents look on at a submerged motorway during a break in the rain in Houston, Texas
EPA
17/19
People photograph the submerged motorway interchange
EPA
18/19
Debris lies on the ground after a building was destroyed by Hurricane Harvey in Aransas Pass, Texas
AP
19/19
Dominic Dominguez searches for his boat in a boat storage facility that was heavily damaged by Hurricane Harvey near Rockport, Texas
EPA
1/19
A tattered U.S. flag damaged in Hurricane Harvey, flies in Conroe, Texas
Reuters
2/19
Lisa Rehr holds her four-year old son Maximus, after they lost their home to Hurricane Harvey, as they await to be evacuated with their belongings from Rockport, Texas
Reuters
3/19
People line up for food as others rest at the George R. Brown Convention Center
AP Photo/LM Otero
4/19
Volunteers with The American Red Cross register evacuees at the George R. Brown Convention Center
Reuters/Nick Oxford
5/19
Soldiers with the Texas Army National Guard help the residents of Cyprus Creek
Reuters
6/19
Residents wade through floodwater
Reuters/Nick Oxford
7/19
Residents walk along the flooded roadway of Texas 249 as they evacuate their adjacent neighborhoods
EPA
8/19
A man floats past a truck submerged on a freeway flooded by Tropical Storm Harvey on Sunday
AP
9/19
People are rescued by airboat as they evacuate from flood waters from Hurricane Harvey in Dickinson, Texas
Reuters
10/19
James Archiable carries his bike through the flooded intersection at Taylor and Usenet near downtown Houston, Texas
EPA
11/19
A massive sinkhole opened up on a motorway in Rosenburg, a city 25 miles southwest of Houston, Texas
Rosenberg Police
12/19
People are rescued from flood waters from Hurricane Harvey in an armored police mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle in Dickinson, Texas
Reuters
13/19
People are rescued from flood waters from Hurricane Harvey on a boat in Dickinson, Texas
Reuters
14/19
Evacuees are airlifted in a US Coast Guard helicopter after flooding due to Hurricane Harvey inundated neighborhoods in Houston, Texas
Reuters
15/19
Evacuees leave a US Coast Guard helicopter after being rescued from flooding due to Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Texas
Reuters
16/19
Residents look on at a submerged motorway during a break in the rain in Houston, Texas
EPA
17/19
People photograph the submerged motorway interchange
EPA
18/19
Debris lies on the ground after a building was destroyed by Hurricane Harvey in Aransas Pass, Texas
AP
19/19
Dominic Dominguez searches for his boat in a boat storage facility that was heavily damaged by Hurricane Harvey near Rockport, Texas
EPA
In a statement to The Washington Post, a spokesman for the US State Department said: “It is common during hurricanes and other significant weather events for the US Government to be in close contact with our neighbours and partners in the region to share data and cooperate as needed and appropriate.
"If a need for assistance does arise, we will work with our partners, including Mexico, to determine the best way forward.”
It is unclear whether the Trump administration would accept the offer, but the offer leaves Mr Trump in an awkward position.
If he were to accept aid, he could be accused of hypocrisy over his stance on Mexico. But should he refuse, he could be seen as acting callously while Texans suffer.
Mr Trump plans to visit Texas to see the storm-hit areas.
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