The President of United States Donald Trump has accepted Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's offer to render assistance for disaster relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, according to a report by Todayonline.
On Tuesday night (August 29), PM Lee had called President Trump to express his concern and sympathies over the loss of life and damage caused by the storm, said a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson.
Singapore also offered assistance in disaster relief efforts by deploying the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s (RSAF) CH-47 Chinook helicopters from its Peace Prairie detachment in Grand Prairie, Texas. President Trump had thanked PM Lee and accepted his offer of help, the report said.
Ministry of Defence (Mindef) said in a press statement on early Wednesday morning that it will deploy four of the helicopters to assist with the US relief operations.
PM Lee noted that this was "a small gesture to express our appreciation and gratitude to the US and in particular the State of Texas, which have been good hosts for our Peace Prairie detachment."
The Chinooks will be able to airlift troops and evacuees, as well as transport supplies to where they are needed the most, said Mindef. Relief operations by the RSAF helicopters are expected to commence on Wednesday.
To date, Hurricane Harvey has killed at least 12 people, leading to mass evacuations and paralysed Houston, the fourth most-populous American city.