The border clashes between Thai and Cambodian soldiers started since April 22, 2011, on the border of Surin Province, then extended to Burirum, resulting in the evacuation of 45,796 Thai villagers from their loving home villages to reside in 35 evacuation sites in Surin and 8 in Burirum Provinces.

Caritas Thailand, or the Social Commission of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Thailand, and Catholic Office for Emergency Relief and Refugees (COERR) were concerned about the plights of the villagers especially the vulnerable, i.e. children, elderly and handicapped among them. Thus COERR Surin and Aranyaprathet staff have been assigned as representatives for rendering consumable supplies to vulnerable evacuees. On April 27, the consumable supplies of powdered milk for children, UHT fresh milk, bread, diapers, mosquito repellent, betel nuts and leaves for elderly were delivered to 5,300 people in one of the evacuation sites, at Ban Koke Klang School, Phanom Dongrak District, Surin Province. . This follows the first delivery of instant noodles and drinking water which had already been distributed on April 22, 2011.

In this photo, Mr. Sutthipong Yaemsa-nga, COERR Surin Field Coordinator (3rd from right) and Mr. Siwa Bunlert, COERR Aranyaprathet Field Manager (far right) were presenting consumable supplies to
Mr. Samer Sa-sri, Phanom Dongrak Senior District Officer, Surin Province, on behalf of the affected
Thai villagers on April 27, 2011.

Evacuation site at Ban Koke Klang School is one of 43 evacuation sites established to accommodate villagers fleeing the border fighting. This site received those coming from 5 villages in Surin Province’s Phanom Dongrak District and 1 village in Burirum Province’s Ban Kruad District. At the evacuation site, the evacuees are scattered in wherever they find space, such as classrooms, space in the ground floor and in the school yard.

According to the latest news, the situation has been consistently improved so Surin Province decides to close the evacuation site at Ban Koke Klang school. Arrangement has been made for evacuees to return home on 2 May 2011.

Reference: Website of Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, the Ministry of Interior,
dated 3 May 2011