Source: Save The Children
In the north of Thailand, floods tore through homes and schools leaving 140 schools damaged, while in Vietnam at least 805[1] schools have been damaged since early September after Typhoon Yagi battered the country.
Asia is the world’s most disaster-hit region from weather, climate and water-related hazards.[2] Across the world, a staggering 774 million children – or one third of the world’s child population – are living with the dual impacts of poverty and high climate risk.[3]
In Thailand, this means learning has been disrupted for more than 30,500 children[4] for an indefinite period.
The floods have also increased the risk of waterborne diseases. Globally, increases in disease related to climate change are projected to have deadly implications for children, including vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever. [5]
Classroom floors, chairs, tables and learning materials in schools across Thailand’s northernmost Chiang Rai province remain covered in mud and many schools are in need of new learning equipment.
Children’s psychosocial well-being has also been acutely affected by the loss of their belongings, damage to their schools, their play areas and environments familiar to them.
Patchara*, a 15-year-old student from Chiang Rai province, said she was able to save only some belongings when the floods hit and water levels reached her waist level.
Her family is temporarily staying with relatives. Patchara said she’s worried about waterborne diseases as she travels to school. This is her first severe flood experience.
Many flood-affected areas in Thailand and Vietnam are also still inaccessible due to flooded roads and the danger of landslides, severely hampering rescue and relief operations.
Guillaume Rachou, Save the Children Thailand Executive Director, said:
“Children in Chiang Rai can’t go back to school anytime soon. Others have had to stay at home to help their families rebuild their lives. The recovery effort will take months so it’s important that these children’s lives are as normal and that they can return to their classrooms as soon as, and as safely, as possible and feel supported during the transition.”
Save the Children will provide essential support to children in five districts of Chiang Rai province, including booklets on flood recovery hygiene and on infant feeding.
The children’s charity will also provide 1,500 students with back-to-school kits including learning kits and school uniforms. In collaboration with global apparel retailer UNIQLO, the initiative will also see the distribution of 2,600 items of children’s clothing, which includes 1,600 new pieces of children’s innerwear and T-shirts, along with 1,000 pieces of adult clothing sourced from the brand’s customer take-back program known as “RE.UNIQLO.”
Save the Children is also working with community volunteers, teachers and Thailand’s Department of Mental Health to provide psychological first aid training and training in how to spot children who are at risk of dropping out of school. The children’s organisation will set up a mobile psychological first aid team to support school staff and students at 20 schools where community outreach activities will include theater and arts.
In Vietnam, Save the Children has been in discussions with government agencies to release a flood response plan to help affected children return to school safely and continue their learning.
Save the Children has worked in Thailand since 1979 to support children most impacted by discrimination and inequality running programmes on education, child protection, livelihood, and child rights governance.
Save the Children started working in Vietnam in 1990 and now operates in 22 provinces in partnership with government agencies, civil society organisations, the private sector and academic institutions.
*Name changed to protect identity.
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