Emergency Relief

Emergency Relief Program:
Distributing in-kind assistance to the victims of natural disasters

Disaster Preparedness Training Program:
Providing disaster preparedness trainning course and necessary warning equipment to people who live in risky areas

Refugees (Thai – Burmese Border)

Location:       
Temporary shelters in Mae Hong Son, Tak, Kanchanaburi and Ratchaburi Provinces

Principles and Reasons:                 
To alleviate the suffering of people in need along the Thai-Burma border, regardless of their nationality, religion, gender or political beliefs

Goals and Objectives:
     - To provide basic relief items for Extremely Vulnerable Individuals (EVI’s) in the  camps and  affected Thai villages to help them live with dignity
     - To increase awareness, knowledge and experience on appropriate and sustainable organic agricultural practices in order to improve livelihood skills and to enhance self-sufficiency of the refugees upon repatriation or resettlement
     - To assist refugee communities to develop basic social work technical skills and to  organize and operate community-based essential social  services for EVI’s
     - To support education of children and provide vocational training for EVIs.
     - To increase awareness and community-based skills for environmental protection,  including the practice of waste management, waste separation and recycling
     - To provide emergency road repairs inside Umpiem, Mae La, Ban Don Yang, Mae La Oon,  Mae La Ma Luang, Ban Mai Nai Soi and Ban Mae Surin camps and on the access road to Ban Don Yang, Mae La Oon and Mae La Ma Luang camps

Methods and Activities
Community Services to EVI’s (Extremely Vulnerable Individuals):
Community Services to EVI’s (Extremely Vulnerable Individuals) such as  
unaccompanied children, elderly, handicapped and single parents by providing  
assistance and community services including the following
     - Psychosocial Training and technical support for refugee Community Social Workers and partner community-based organizations
     - Case management, provide caring support and referral of cases
     - Monitoring of EVI’s living conditions in a regular and systematic manner through home visits
     - Monitoring of unaccompanied and separated children
     - Organizing healing of memory workshops
     - Setting up and maintaining coordination mechanisms with refugee committees, CBOs (Community Based Organizations such as KRC,  KnRC, KWO, KYO, KEG, KSNG) and other humanitarian service organizations such  as UNHCR, UNICEF, partner NGOs, and MOI staffs for assistance to the EVI’s and  their referrals as needed

Environmental Protection and Agricultural Training & Production:
     - Environmental protection training and awareness raising through campaigns and leaflets related to preservation of the environment
     - Promoting and supporting environmental protection activities through waste separation & recycling, and tree planting to reduce fire risks and prevent soil erosion 
     - Agricultural training and vegetable gardening for food production; mushroom production, distribution of seeds, seedlings and agricultural tools; support for community-run gardening plots; technical training in organic agricultural practices
     - Environmental protection emergency interventions in coordination with camp authorities and other NGOs

Preservation of Traditional Ethnic Arts and Crafts Through the Elderly:
     - Organizing social activities for the elderly to teach traditional arts and crafts to the youth in order to preserve ethnic culture
     - Providing services/ assistance for sick or needy elderly

Humanitarian Assistance to EVI’s:
including distribution of
     - Hygiene packs (soap, shampoo, toothpaste, washing powder and brush,)
for unaccompanied minors
     - Sweaters
     - Slippers and umbrellas
     - Blankets for the elderly
     - Traditional pants and sarong for elderly
     - Student shirts

Self-help Activities and Preparation for Repatriation:
     - Soap making
     - Candle making
     - Agricultural tools
     - Balm making

Road Repair and Maintenance:
     - To provide emergency road repairs inside Umpiem, Mae La, Ban Don Yang, Mae La Oon,  Mae La Ma Luang, Ban Mai Nai Soi and Ban Mae Surin camps and on the access road to Ban Don Yang, Mae La Oon and Mae La Ma Luang camps
     - To organize and engage teams of volunteers among the refugees to perform basic road building and maintenance skills through training

Community-based Waste Management System:
     - Technical training to refugee volunteers to operate the system
     - To provide technical support, equipment, materials, and supplies needed to operate the system
     - Supporting demonstration houses practicing waste separation and recycling
     - Planting of deep root trees to prevent soil erosion
     - Regular camp/ stream clean-up

Education Supplies Distribution:
     - Distribution of sport equipments  and  school supplies to schools

Programmes for Thai villages near the camps:
     - Community services and emergency assistance to EVI’s and the most needy persons in the target villages
     - Distribution of sports equipment to schools in target Villages
     - Cleaning of stream and road from Mae La camp to Mae  Auk Hoo village
     - Support for the community-based waste management  system for 5 villages nearby Mae La camp (Mae La Thai, Mae La Yang, Mae Auk Hoo, Huay Nok Kok, and Mae Auk Pha Roo)
     - Integrated Conservation and Development Program – To integrate organic agriculture practices with environmental conservation initiatives

Refugees in Bangkok

     - Assisting the urban refugees through the services of Bangkok Refugee Center (BRC) such as social service, needs assessment and provision of subsistence allowance, education service and medical service for both refugees and asylum seekers
     - Providing support to illegal immigrant detainees in the immigration detention center (IDC) by means of supplementary food, hygiene supplies, cleaning supplies and social service

Thai Communities (Thai - Cambodian Border)

Children Program:
     - Organizing the youth missionary training activities for Thai students in the remote areas of Surin, Burirum and Sra Kaew Province
     - Implementing the children sponsorship program for poor Thai children in Chaiyaphum, Nakhonratchasima, Sra Kaew and Surin Provinces

Mine Risk Education Program
Providing mine risk education to people who live in the mine inflicted areas

Support to Elderly and Handicaps:
Providing necessary supplies such as food and non-food items to sustain life and dignity

COERR Volunteers

Catholic Office for Emergency Relief and Refugee (COEER) had established the group of Catholic volunteers for over 10 years by standing on the spirit of love and serve to other people. Most of their activities are to support and visit the elderly, the disables and the poor. At present, there are members from 16 Catholic churches participating in the volunteer activities