The Thai government has offered emergency assistance to two of its ASEAN partners - Indonesia and the Philippines, which have both been stricken by natural disasters, causing a great loss of life and many casualties.
The Indonesian province of West Sumatra was struck by powerful earthquakes on September 30 and October 1, affecting thousands of people and inflicting massive property damage. Thailand’s Public Health Minister Witthaya Keawparadai said that Indonesia had requested assistance from the Thai government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Thai government has provided Indonesia with medicine worth 150,000 US dollars (five million baht) and a number of electricity generators worth 18,000 US dollars (600,000 baht). Saline solution, first aid kits, and antibiotics, together with a mobile medical team, were sent to Indonesia on October 3 on board of a Royal Thai Air Force C-130 aircraft.
The Thai government has also expressed sadness over the loss caused by tropical storm Ketsana in the Philippines.
The storm hit the capital city of Manila on September 26th, causing massive floodings and displacing thousands of people in the city and nearby provinces. 100 tons of rice and 100,000 sets of pharmaceutical supplies worth 150,000 US dollars (five million baht) was sent by Thailand to the Philippines.
A Thai medical team is also ready to leave for the Philippines to give a helping hand. The Royal Thai Embassy in Manila reported that 450 Thai people in the Philippines were safe and were not seriously affected by the disaster.
The ASEAN Secretariat has set up an emergency humanitarian relief fund to be used to purchase relief items, based on the needs of all populations affected by Ketsana, which also hit Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam. The ASEAN Cooperation Fund for Emergency Relief is also open for the partners and friends of ASEAN.
The Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, in his capacity as the ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance Coordinator, has encouraged the other ASEAN Member States to provide assistance to the affected countries.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya have sent messages of condolence to the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister of Vietnam, expressing their condolences and sympathy to them and the families of the victims of typhoon Ketsana, which caused casualties in Hue and Da Nang.
As for Thailand, the northeastern provinces of Ubon Ratchathani, Mukdahan, Surin, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Buri Ram have also been hit by flooding caused by the typhoon.
