KEY DEVELOPMENTS
· Floodwaters continue to recede in Thailand’s northern and central provinces as water moves southward toward the Gulf of Thailand. Moving floodwaters have inundated some new areas on the outskirts of Bangkok and surrounding provinces, although most locations in inner Bangkok remain dry and unaffected. In addition, lower tides in the Gulf of Thailand continue to facilitate a decrease of water levels in the Chao Phraya River, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority (BMA). On November 5, the BMA recorded maximum water levels in the river at 7.1 feet—down from approximately 8.5 feet reported in late October.
· Government of Thailand (GoT) officials have completed a four-mile sandbag wall in northern Bangkok in preparation for the high tides forecasted for mid-November, which are expected to be much lower than the peak tides that occurred in October.
· In early November, the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) launched a $498,000 Special Operation to provide one month of logistical support to the GoT, including supplying 120 outboard boat motors to the GoT Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM). To support local responders, USAID Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) is working with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to provide operational assistance, including boats and motors.
· On October 24, the U.N. approved the allocation of nearly $4 million in U.N. Central Emergency Response Fund assistance for food, agriculture, shelter, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programs in Cambodia’s flood-affected regions.