The continued pouring of rainfalls for several days at the beginning of August 2011 resulted in the overflowing of the Yuam River which destroy the river bank areas of Mae Lama Luang and Mae La Oon refugee camps causing many houses near the river to be flooded or collapsed.

After the floods, COERR staff have made surveys in agricultural areas, especially those near the river,
to find that the devastating had been great. Not only most of the crops, water pipes, bio-fertilizer tanks and shading net in the hardest hit areas of Section 6 and 7 A of Mae Lama Luang and Mae La Oon camps, were destroyed, but the agricultural land and rented agricultural areas near the river were badly eroded.

Damages of the Agricultural Areas in Ban Mae La Oon Camp

Agricultural areas on the river side which were eroded by floods

The rented agricultural areas near the river also destroyed by floods

The remains of the agricultural lands in Mae Lama Luang camp after the floods

ACTIVITIES IN THE DEMONSTRATION CENTERS:
After the floods, on August 26, COERR Agriculture staff brought 600 frogs and 500 fish to be raised in the COERR Demonstration Center in Mae Lama Luang and 1,000 frogs, 250 cat fish and 250 Nile Tilapia to the COERR Demonstration Center in Mae La Oon. This is to promote refugees in the communities to learn about frog and fish raising while COERR team staff in the camps also acquire more skills in animal raising.

AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES FOR REFUGEES after floods comprise
1. Training: in “Organic Farming” for 160 new farmers, then hoes, as farming tools, were distributed to trainees.
2. Seed Distribution: 206.34 kgs. of seeds were distributed to 236 families of farmers and interested refugees
3.Farm Production: 161 families were visited, 18,004 Kg. of vegetables were produced. Some families reported no products this month due to floods
4.Bean Sprout: 1,000 Kgs. of beans were brought in camps of which 212 Kgs. were distributed to the vulnerable, and 1,120 Kgs. were production outcome. The COERR community service workers then arranged to distribute these bean sprouts to 1,678 families of needy vulnerable persons, mostly the elders and handicapped. Their family members numbering 2,082 (1,019 male and 1,063 female) also benefitted from this distribution.