Supplies Delivered To Hard-Hit Communities

[Lite Beer]

Supplies delivered to hard-hit communities

By The Nation on Sunday.

But access limited to some villages in flood-struck South

Relief supplies for victims of floods in the South were slow in getting through because roads remained impassable due to flood water and landslides. Meanwhile, the government's proposal for Bt2 billion in aid will be tabled at tomorrow's Cabinet meeting, Deputy Interior Minister Thaworn Senneam said yesterday.

Thaworn said flood victim assistance would be according to civil service criteria such as Bt5,000 initial financial aid for each affected household. He said the process would be speeded up because the disaster hit the southern provinces very hard and many areas were suffering a second blow after the November 2010 flood.

Fourth Army Area commander Lt-General Udomchai Thammasajoraj said Their Majesties the King and Queen had graciously granted some funds to assist flood victims and urged the Army to assist affected people.

PM Abhisit Vejjajiva will today host the "Confident in Thailand with PM Abhisit" programme from Surat Thani's Phunphin district.

PM's Office Minister Satit Wongnongtaey, who delivered Bt50,000 in death compensation to two families yesterday and 500 relief bags to flood victims in Phatthalung, said he had earlier visited hard-hit tambons Na Ta Loung and Nong Trud in Trang's Muang district, where 3,000 families were affected by two-metre-deep flood water and delivered 300 relief bags. He said Bt5,000 initial financial aid for each affected household should reach people by the mid-month Songkran Festival.

Trang province would also get Bt120 million to dig flood-retraining areas or "monkey cheeks" - small reservoirs in a bid to tackle the recurring flood problem there.

Meanwhile, Royal Thai Air Force Commander Itthiporn Supawong said yesterday his agency had set up a disaster mitigation centre to monitor the southern flood situation around the clock. The centre would have a Peacemaker aircraft equipped with a broadcasting device to help the Fourth Army Area Command in public relations and some surveillance aircraft to get on-the-field information in real time. The agency's C130 aircraft would carry relief supplies to victims as well as deliver some medical treatment to patients in mobile hospitals.

Fourth Army Area commander Lt-General Udomchai Thammasajoraj said operations to evacuate affected people had progressed well. Most stranded and at-risk people were in safer places yesterday. This was despite difficulties getting to some areas in Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani, which are mountainous and cut from the outside world.

Army spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the Army had the tools to transport donated items to southern flood victims. Those wishing to donate needed supplies could send them to Channel 5 TV station, the 2nd Cavalry Division King's Guard in Bangkok or Army bases upcountry. The army also had seven helicopters to help evacuated people.

Deputy PM Suthep Thaugsuban gave 10,000 relief sets to flood victims in Koh Samui before inspecting by helicopter extensive and rising floods in Koh Samui, Kanchanadit, Phunphin and Muang Surat Thani districts. Provincial governor Theerayuth Eiumtrakul asked for three helicopters to deliver relief supplies to residents in Chai Buri, Phrasaeng, Khian Sa and Wiang Sa districts, which received a large volume of Tapi River runoff from Nakhon Si Thammarat as well as Krabi's Ipan River runoff.

Democrat Party chief adviser Chuan Leekpai visited and delivered 600 relief bags to flood victims in tambon Na Ta Loung in Trang's Muang district. Some 4,000 people in four villages faces floods up to three metres deep. In Krabi, Chularatchamontri Arzis Pitakkhumpol visited Khao Phanom's district Ban Ton Han Ville and also delivered Halal food to flood-affected Muslim communities in Ao Luek district.

Phuket City will host a concert at Thalang Road from 5pm to midnight next Saturday and Sunday to raise funds for flood victims in the South and Japanese tsunami victims. On Sunday April 10, the organisers will also host a special TV show to raise money. That will be aired on Channel 11 from 10pm to midnight. Donations for southern victims can be made at to the KTB's Phuket branch account, number 805-0-39733-5, while donation for Japanese victims could be made to the Krung Thai Bank Phuket branch account number 805-0-41578-3.

-- The Nation 2011-04-03

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Hmm, lots of talk but little action. Out of first hand experience I know that in Khao Phanom (Krabi) for example the army is dicking around but being of not much help.

As far as the food and clean water donations are going well they are stacked up since Thursday at the Poo yai baan's place and haven't been distributed yet so my wife and her family bought goods and brought themselves to needy families that they know out there.

As usual very disorganized and lots of people around (NGO's, government officials) but they aren't really helping.