800,000 children now at risk as Thailand's floods crisis worsens
Save the Children is warning that the number of children caught up in the continuing floods crisis in Thailand has risen sharply to an estimated 800,000.
Nearly 300 people have died since the floods began in July and children are the most at risk. Many children and families are suffering severe stress after losing their homes and livelihoods, and with no idea of when life might return to normal.
Farm, a seven year old girl, has spent more than a week at an evacuation centre in Ayutthaya, one of the worst-affected areas. She said, “I miss my house and want to go home – but I can’t go home”.
Save the Children aid worker Annie Bodmer-Roy said: “Hundreds of thousands of children are having their world turned upside down with no idea of when things might improve. We are deeply worried about children who may become separated from their families - we know from experience that this can be a major risk. These children must be protected. Children face huge uncertainty and need help to get their lives back to normal as quickly as possible”.
Save the Children is working together with the government and civil society to provide life-saving immediate relief to affected children and their families, including migrant populations who are among the hardest to reach. The agency is scaling up its programmes to ensure that the needs of all affected children are equally met.
As part of its efforts to protect children, Save the Children is setting up special play areas in northern Bangkok and Ayutthaya - one is already up and running, with more planned in the coming days and weeks as the response is scaled up across the worst-hit areas. These play spaces provide children with a place to play with their friends and help get a sense of normalcy amidst the immense changes they have been facing.
Annie Bodmer-Roy said, “We’re already reaching thousands of children and families through our work with the government and civil society, but without more help children face devastating risks. It is clear the scale of this disaster means that recovery assistance will be needed for months to come."
For more information or interviews with the Save the Children staff on the ground, please call the Save the Children press office on +44 (0)207 012 6841, or out of hours, call +44 (0)7831 650 409.
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Total population affected in Thailand has climbed to close to 3.2 million according to government figures, Save the Children estimates that 800,000 of them are children.
Save the Children has been working in Thailand for over 30 years.