Fire destroys Thai-Burma border camp

CARITAS Australia, the international aid and development organisation of the Catholic Church, has committed $70,000 (AU) in emergency response assistance following the destruction of Ban Mae Surin Refugee Camp on the Thai-Burma border, one of the most remote and vulnerable in the region. The money Caritas is providing will go to helping Caritas Australia’s long-term partners The Border Consortium (TBC) and Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in providing humanitarian assistance to those refugees in the camp.

Karenni refugees from Burma/Myanmar make up 85 % of the refugees in the camp, with the remaining being Karen and other ethnicities.

At least 35 refugees died, more than 400 households were destroyed and 2, 300 were left homeless, after a fire broke out recently in the camp, in the Khum Yuam District, Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand.

Caritas CEO Jack de Groot said two sections of the camp have been completely devastated. The damage includes; two primary schools, one nursery, the Karenni Women’s Facility, the camp clinic and the two main food distribution centres.

“This disaster has had a huge impact on the refugees in this camp, one of four refugee camps that together shelter more than 44,000 people in this region in the North-West of Thailand,” Mr de Groot said.

“This camp is the smallest and the most remote of the four and houses almost 4,000 people, the overwhelming majority being Karenni, so the refugees there are among the most marginalised and vulnerable communities in the region.”

The TBC has been providing relief care for almost 30 years to more than 130,000 mainly Mon, Karen, Karenni and Shan refugees in about nine camp settlements along the Thai Burmese border. Meanwhile, the JRS, which provides education services to the refugees, is now focusing its efforts on rebuilding the primary schools and education facilities.

“It’s important that everyone in the community, especially children, get back to their normal lives as soon as possible,” Mr de Groot said.

“The fire destroyed the primary schools which allow about 230 children to be taught in 9 classrooms, as well as some other buildings such as a library and offices.

“The fire also burned down the vocational training facilities, so it’s created a lot of damage for the people in the camps.”

Most of the assistance will go toward humanitarian assistance such as; food and non-food items, shelter and the rebuilding and re-establishing of education facilities at the camp.

More: www.caritas.org.au