Thousands of people have sought shelter in relief centres.

17 October 2011: Plan has committed to spend $150,000 (4.5 million baht) on emergency relief supplies for some 6,000 children and mothers affected by Thailand’s worst flooding in decades, which has so far killed some 300 and troubled 2.4 million people.

After visiting the evacuation centres over the weekend in Ayutthaya province, one of the worst hit among 27 provinces, Plan Thailand has pledged to deliver a comprehensive relief package for the evacuation centres, including items for young children -- one of the most affected and vulnerable groups from the floods.

The items include diapers, baby food, children's clothes, children's life jackets, medical supplies, recreational kits such as toys and books, toiletries for children and mothers, and boats for their communities.

Focused on children 

“While many of the humanitarian supplies from other aid agencies are adult-centric, Plan has been requested by the Thai government to contribute in delivering immediate aid assistance, including psychosocial assistance, for young children and mothers, which is Plan’s expertise,” said Sunan Samrianrum, Plan Thailand's acting country director.

“We put children at the centre of our response -- and not just their material needs, even though material relief goods play a crucial role. Plan believes that children’s psychosocial needs are just as important,” Sunan added.

In Ayutthaya, many mothers rely on powdered milk so they can leave their babies with relatives while they go to work in factories. Now they are facing grave challenges in trying to feed their babies.

Plan is working with the government and partner agencies to set up proper infant feeding stations at evacuation centres – and to try to educate mothers on the benefits of breastfeeding.

The floods in numbers

Out of the 2.4 million affected people, 700,000 are believed to be children. So far, heavy monsoon rains have killed some 300 people, destroyed millions of acres of farmland, inundated hundreds of factories and left hundreds of thousands of people jobless. The situation is expected to intensify in Thailand with continued heavy rains, high tides and run-off from the north.

About 110,000 people around the country have sought refuge in shelters. There are more than 1,000 shelters in 11 provinces but the number of shelters is expected to rise.

Many families -- 50,000 alone in Bangpa-in district -- remained in their inundated homes on the upper floors of their houses without enough water, food or sanitary facilities. The government estimates that the flood situation will remain for another 2 months. Camps are expected to remain open for around 3 months.

“The scale of the disaster is such that it will take several months to bring back some degree of normality in the lives of the affected people. We will contribute to efforts to return communities to normality as quickly as possible,” Sunan said.

Having worked with children and their communities in Thailand for 3 decades, Plan has responded to previous disasters such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. 

See how Plan is assisting disaster-affected communities across Asia.