World Vision response

In the first few days following the floods, World Vision Thailand distributed 3,000 emergency kits that contained various items such as water, rice, noodles, canned fish, sanitary products and first aid medicine. World Vision staff are liaising with local and national authorities, filling gaps in the overall response.

World Vision also provided eggs, sugar, cooking oil and other supplies to a temporary shelter managed by local authorities in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, the worst affected province in Thailand. Another 1,500 survival kits will be sent to villages that have not yet been reached by government agencies in this province.
 
Chitra Thumborisuth, World Vision Thailand’s National Director said that World Vision will aim to assist 20,000 families through a 45-day relief response. “The immediate emergency relief needs will be followed up in the next few weeks by supporting families to get their lives back together again,” said Ms Thumborisuth.

“We will do comprehensive assessments to provide clean-up kits to the worst affected families as well as school supplies to the thousands of affected children. This will be followed by livelihood replacement kits to those families who have lost their only means of income.”

Background information

Heavy monsoonal rains that started on 23 March 2011 have caused the worst floods in decades in the south of Thailand.

“The flood and resulting devastation is far worse than the flash floods that hit the same region last November,” said Ms Thumborisuth. “Thousands of families left destitute by the last floods had only just started to pick up the pieces of their lives. So we are deeply concerned about the potential physical and emotional impact of this latest flooding.”

Whilst the Thai Government is usually well-equipped to respond to emergencies with aid agencies in a supporting role, this rather unseasonal flood disaster has led to government appeals for additional resources and food supplies.

Children sponsored by Australians

There are no children sponsored by Australians living in the flood affected areas.

How you can help

Support for the Emergency & Preparedness Fund enables World Vision to prepare for emergencies by pre-stocking and positioning life-saving supplies and ensuring trained staff are available to be on the scene quickly, to respond to emergencies.

Find out more about our Emergency & Preparedness Fund or donate now.