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World Refugee Day: European Commission funding provides for the humanitarian needs of refugees along the Thailand-Burma border

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By Stacey M. Winston, European Commission Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO), Regional Information Officer for East and Southeast Asia

At first glance, children laughing and happily playing football in the north of Thailand, along the Myanmar/Burma border seem as any other school children, but these children are some of the 140,000 refugees living along the Thai-Burma border. For nearly twenty five years, thousands have fled from fighting in Burma/Myanmar crossing the border into Thailand. The refugees are not allowed to leave the camps in order to support themselves, and are dependent upon external support for survival. The UNHCR theme for World Refugee Day 2009 is 'real people, real needs' and the European Commission continues to meet the humanitarian needs of refugees living along the Thai-Burma border.

Children living in the camps are especially vulnerable. One such child is Lar Oon, age 10, who attends school, plays football, and help with daily chores in her small thatched roof home - this is a typical routine in the refugee camps. Children under the age of 15 living in the camp make up approximately 1 out of 5 of the total population. But children such as Lar Oon, who are born and raised in the camp, know no life outside the camps. The children have no opportunity to study past secondary school or further education.

Since 1995, the European Commission Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO) has been providing support to Burmese refugees in Thailand through the provision of food assistance, health care, clean water and proper sanitation systems. Total humanitarian aid funding amounts to more than €79 million. In addition, the European Commission through its development funding for Aid for Uprooted People (AUP) has provided €59 million since 1995. European Commission funding totals more than €123 million to support the 'real needs' of refugees, through partnership with international and local organizations and UN partners.

Food assistance is the biggest component followed by basic health care services and education for AUP funded projects. ECHO provides funding for seven key food items in the food basket for the refugees: rice, fortified flour (blended food), fish paste, iodized salt, mung beans, cooking oil and dry chilies. ECHO also funds the provision of cooking fuel for the refugees and supplementary food for young children and pregnant/lactating women.

At present basic curative services provided reach over 100,000 refugees. Preventive health activities, such as immunisation, mother and child care programmes and psychosocial support are also offered, as well as training for health workers.

Water needs are covered through improving, operating and maintaining water collection and distribution systems. Sanitation activities and solid waste disposal, coupled with hygiene education are helping to prevent epidemics.

The European Commission, humanitarian agencies and the Royal Thai government are striving to identify together more sustainable solutions