Thailand experienced its worst flooding in 50 years. The government estimated 7.8 million people have been affected with homes and rice fields damaged in this natural calamity.
Tzu Chi volunteers from Bangkok and Chiang Mai began disaster assessment work on October 20, and started handing out hot meals and drinking water on October 21, hoping to relieve the temporary situation for the disaster survivors.
Roads and rice fields were under water, and residents could only travel via boat, or wade through the water. With half of the districts of the country flooded, residents were short of food and drinking water.
Learning the needs of these victims, Tzu Chi volunteers immediately prepared nutritious hot meals while taking conservation work into consideration.
Tzu Chi volunteer not only came for relief work, but also hoped to promote environmentalism; so they used banana leaf to wrap the hot meals.
Bangkok and Chiang Mai Tzu Chi volunteers divided themselves into two groups to assess the disaster site. They first arrived at Lopburi Prefecture, 230km away from Bangkok, where residents had been suffering from the flood since September. Volunteers not only handed out food and water, but also cared for the resident's safety. Other volunteers arrived at Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Prefecture, which is only 80 km away from the capital city. Over 80 percent of area was buried under water; luckily, more than 1,000 families live in stilt houses, and escaped the flood.
Also giving care to the needy were the doctors and nurses from Tzu Chi medical team, who organized a free clinic in the shelter of flood-affected area at Lopburi vocational college.
There are total 12,380 servings of hot meals distributed to flood victims during the period of Oct. 21 to Nov.3 with total 371 Tzu Chi volunteers involved. More surveys at flood hit area will be made and plan to distribute essential items such as rice, mats, blankets, oil, soy sauce to 5000 households at the area of Lopburi and Ayutthaya.
