IOM on Monday began a distribution of 9,000 German-funded health
and hygiene kits to flood-affected migrant workers in Pathum Thani
near Bangkok.

The kits, containing water purification filters and tablets,
soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, detergent, sanitary napkins,
diapers, mosquito repellent, mosquito nets and basic medicines,
were funded by a EUR 200,000 donation from the German
government.

IOM Thailand Chief of Mission Jeff Labovitz and German
Ambassador to Thailand Rolf Schulze took part in the initial
distribution, which targeted 450 Burmese, Cambodian, Lao and Thai
migrant workers.

Most of the beneficiaries worked at the Wanachai timber and wood
processing plant, which like hundreds of other factories, small
businesses and homes to the north and west of Bangkok, remains
waterlogged and shuttered.

"A Burmese migrant worker at a joint IOM, Thai Red Cross aid distribution in Nakhon Pathom, west of Bangkok"
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The distribution follows rapid health needs assessments carried
out by IOM in high density migrant locations, including Pathum
Thani, Nonthaburi and Samut Sakhon districts, in close
collaboration with the Thai government, the UN, the Thai Red Cross
and NGO partners.

IOM has already distributed 1,450 relief kits to flood-affected
Thai and migrant workers. In November it also received USD 1
million from USAID to procure essential equipment including boats,
pumps and generators, which were handed over to the Thai Disaster
Prevention and Mitigation Department.

While the water from Thailand's worst floods on record is slowly
receding, 2,263 evacuation centers remain in operation in 20
provinces, providing shelter for 85,809 people, according to the
Thai Department of Provincial Administration.

There are still over 20,000 evacuees in Nakon Pathom shelters
and over 10,000 in suburban Bangkok relief centers. The Bangkok
Metropolitan Administration continues to run 33 centres housing
3,613 evacuees. Many areas surrounding the city are still flooded
and the country’s second largest airport, Don Muang, remains
closed.

For more information please contact:

Chris Lom

IOM Bangkok

Tel: +66.819275215

E-mail: "mailto:clom@iom.int">clom@iom.int