Former US Presidents jointly call to help Harvey victims

Five former US presidents launched a joint campaign to raise funds for Harvey victims, a catastrophic hurricane that left 71 dead and thousands displaced on the Texas coast.

Jimmy Carter (1977-1981), George H.W. Bush (1989-1993), Bill Clinton (1993-2001), George W. Bush (2001-2009) and Barack Obama (2009-2017) all appeared in a video that premiered on Thursday during the opening of the National Football League (NFL), reports Efe news.

"Hurricane Harvey brought terrible devastation, but it also brought out the best in humanity," said Clinton, the first to appear in the video.

"As citizens," Obama continues, "we wanted to help our fellow Americans begin to recover".

Carter then said "our friends in Texas, including Presidents Bush 41 and 43, are doing just that".

"People are hurting down here, but, as one Texan put it, 'we've got more love in Texas than water'," Bush Jr. added, and then his father closed the video saying "we love you, Texas".

The "One American Appeal" campaign of the former presidents will distribute the funds raised between the organisations Houston Harvey Relief Fund and Rebuild Texas Fund, dedicated to the reconstruction of the devastated area.

The former presidents also said that the campaign will extend to the victims of Hurricane Irma, which is now moving across the Caribbean islands in the direction of Florida.

--IANS

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