Thailand

More than 5,000 people lost their lives along Thailand’s south-eastern coast in the widespread devastation brought on by the tsunami waves. To this day 3,000 people are still missing and more than 2,000 people are living in temporary shelters.

UNICEF and its partners were quickly at the scene providing emergency food, water, health care supplies and shelter. Some 150,000 children have benefited from UNICEF-supported interventions, which include education and child protection.

Amazingly, within two weeks of the disaster more than 75 per cent of children had returned to school in Thailand. It is believed that the children who stayed away from school were absent due to fear. Enrolment is now at 85 per cent and psychosocial programmes are being expanded to reach these children to help all children back to school. UNICEF has supported the urgent repair of 12 damaged school buildings and provided emergency grants, uniforms, education materials and transport to help the education system return to as near normal as possible.

In Thailand there were officially 92 children whose parents or guardians died in the tsunami and all are now in extended family care. UNICEF is working with other agencies to formalise and monitor the care arrangements.

Before the tsunami there were already reports of child trafficking, and this is believed to be continuing. UNICEF is working with partners to monitor the situation and introduce effective prevention strategies. UNICEF has also provided childcare training for the benefit of 150,000 children – teams of social workers and psychologists have visited schools and communities to work with teachers and parents and learn how to help children cope with trauma.

UNICEF has reached over 9,000 people here with water and sanitation supplies, such as water purification equipment, and the construction and repair of latrines and drainage systems. There were no reported outbreaks of water-borne diseases amongst the affected communities.