An update on the devastating fire at the Umpeim Mai Refugee Camp on the Thai-Burmese border has established that 566 families lost all or most of the possessions. The camp is home to over 17,600 Burmese refugees.
The fire on February 23 destroyed 420 houses and damaged about 350. An estimated 2,500 refugees have lost everything, including their monthly food ration that they received the day before the fire.
The Thailand-Burma Border Consortium (TBBC) urgently needs funding to help rebuild and repair the houses that have been destroyed or damaged by the fire and to replace the one-month food ration that the affected refugees have lost.
The total estimated budget to affect a return to normal conditions is 13,132,105 baht (US$ 427,000).
To donate money or other goods go to: http://www.tbbc.org/donate/donate.htm
A summary of the a recent camp survey showed:
– Many people are not receiving fresh food, e.g., vegetables & meat.
– There is currently no gap for dry food, although fresh vegetables/ meats are not currently available to significant numbers of the affected population.
–Clothing: mostly women’s clothes have been received, but we still require between 500 and 600 sarongs for men.
– Currently, it has been confirmed 420 houses were completely consumed by fire, with a further two nursery schools, two mosques, on security office, four section offices, and one Muslim Women’s office.
– An additional 350 houses will need some repairs to their roof as this is the most flammable part of the building and many were taken down in efforts to save the building and stop the fire spreading further.
– Already more than 200 families have moved back to the site (from the 566 families displaced). For more families to move back a major site cleanup is needed to remove debris and to level and re-stabilize the land/soil that has been burnt. Also water supply and latrines are needed as families move back.
– TBBC is in a good position to procure and deliver the needed building materials, as we currently have a 2-3 months window to deliver the materials. Current estimates for shelter materials are 6,000 posts, 8,000 beams, 120,000 bamboo poles, 220,000 grass thatches, 1,000kg wire, 6,000 kg nails for a budget of approximately 12 million baht.
– Livelihoods: 84 of the 420 houses burned were small businesses.
–Education: Two nursery schools and a storeroom of education equipment and materials have been affected by the fire. Estimated losses include textbooks, stationary, sports equipment, furniture, and vocational training equipment totaling some 450,000 baht. The re-construction of schools will costs a further 250,000 baht.
Src : Mizzima
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| An overview of the Umpiem Mai Refugee Camp showing the destroyed houses on the side of a mountain. The fire on February 23 devastated a large portion of the camp. Photo: TBBC |
The fire on February 23 destroyed 420 houses and damaged about 350. An estimated 2,500 refugees have lost everything, including their monthly food ration that they received the day before the fire.
The Thailand-Burma Border Consortium (TBBC) urgently needs funding to help rebuild and repair the houses that have been destroyed or damaged by the fire and to replace the one-month food ration that the affected refugees have lost.
The total estimated budget to affect a return to normal conditions is 13,132,105 baht (US$ 427,000).
To donate money or other goods go to: http://www.tbbc.org/donate/donate.htm
A summary of the a recent camp survey showed:
– Many people are not receiving fresh food, e.g., vegetables & meat.
– There is currently no gap for dry food, although fresh vegetables/ meats are not currently available to significant numbers of the affected population.
–Clothing: mostly women’s clothes have been received, but we still require between 500 and 600 sarongs for men.
– Currently, it has been confirmed 420 houses were completely consumed by fire, with a further two nursery schools, two mosques, on security office, four section offices, and one Muslim Women’s office.
– An additional 350 houses will need some repairs to their roof as this is the most flammable part of the building and many were taken down in efforts to save the building and stop the fire spreading further.
– Already more than 200 families have moved back to the site (from the 566 families displaced). For more families to move back a major site cleanup is needed to remove debris and to level and re-stabilize the land/soil that has been burnt. Also water supply and latrines are needed as families move back.
– TBBC is in a good position to procure and deliver the needed building materials, as we currently have a 2-3 months window to deliver the materials. Current estimates for shelter materials are 6,000 posts, 8,000 beams, 120,000 bamboo poles, 220,000 grass thatches, 1,000kg wire, 6,000 kg nails for a budget of approximately 12 million baht.
– Livelihoods: 84 of the 420 houses burned were small businesses.
–Education: Two nursery schools and a storeroom of education equipment and materials have been affected by the fire. Estimated losses include textbooks, stationary, sports equipment, furniture, and vocational training equipment totaling some 450,000 baht. The re-construction of schools will costs a further 250,000 baht.
Src : Mizzima
