Thailand: Nearly 1 million people hit by floods amid COVID surge

Thailand: Nearly 1 million people hit by floods amid COVID surge

Kuala Lumpur/Bangkok, 8 October, 2021 – Nearly one million people across Thailand are struggling to cope with devastating floods that have submerged large areas in more than a third of the country.

Around 300,000 houses have been affected by the flooding and nine people are reported to have lost their lives according to the Thai Government Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, in what is being described as the worst floods in a decade in parts of Thailand.

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Thai Red Cross teams are stretched to the limit, providing clean water and food, while trying to keep people safe from COVID-19 and ramping up critical vaccination drives across the country.

Dr Amnat Bali, Director of Relief and Community Health Bureau, Thai Red Cross, said:

“What we’ve seen in Lopburi, Singburi and other areas north of Bangkok is that people are expecting to live with the flood waters for several weeks.

“Our volunteers and emergency teams have been working nonstop since the floods began, providing food, and other relief supplies to thousands of people, but we need to support many more as hundreds of thousands of people have flooded homes.

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“As soon as the floods subside, we are working alongside local health authorities to ramp up COVID-19 vaccinations for older people, migrant workers and others most vulnerable.”

The Thai Red Cross Society disaster response teams have delivered more than 52,000 relief kits with food, water, medicines, sanitary pads, mosquito repellents, cloth masks and hand sanitizers in 20 provinces. Thai Red Cross Society’s boats and an evacuation truck have been rescuing people and providing relief.

Kathryn Clarkson, Southeast Asia Head of Delegation, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said:

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“These floods come at a difficult time for people already grappling with multiple crises particularly the tragic health and economic toll of COVID-19.

“People need long term support as their ability to recover is stretched while still trying to cope with the impacts of COVID-19. Thai people are resilient, however this is the first time they are adapting to two major crises at the same time.”

For more information or to arrange an interview, contact:

In Bangkok: Preeti Abraham, +66 61 412 3910, [email protected]

In Kuala Lumpur: Antony Balmain, +60 12 230 8451, [email protected]

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