UNHCR PROGRAMME FOR ASSISTANCE TO
INDOCHINESE DISPLACED PERSONS IN THAILAND
PROGRESS REPORT
as at 31 December 1976
Introduction
1.
On 29 August 1975 and 30 Jamiary 1976, the High Commissioner appealed to governments for funds to finance a 12.4 million programme of assistance to Indochinese displaced persons in Thailand.
2.
Against the overall 1975/76 target, total cash contributions to date including miscellaneous income amount to 10,493,359, and a contri- bution in kind amounts to a further $ 154,639. As of 31 December 1976 approximately 10,486,600 of the cash contributions had been committed. Not included in these figures is a further amount of $ 3,121,510 which has been spent on the resettlement of displaced persons ex-Thailand, financed under the Resettlement and Repatriation Programme. Annex I lists the con- tributions received and Annex II summarises the commitments made.
Movement of persons
3.
Since Spring 1975, over 100,000 displaced persons from Indochina had been registered by the Thai authorities. The number of displaced per- sons from Indochina in Thailand receiving UNIICR assistance at the end of December 1976 was over 76,000 persons according to the following distri- bution:
From Democratic Kampuchea From Lao People's Democratic
10,087
Republic
62,720
From the Socialist Republic
of Viet Nam
1,556
74,363
There were, in addition, 2,465 persons from Viet Nam who had arrived in Thailand by boat during 1976.
Location
4.
In accordance with the policy of the Koyal Thai Government, dia- placed persons who entered the country were registered with the authorities who then transferred them to camps and centres in various parts of the country for security reasons and in order better to administer relief ass- istance. There are now 14 such centres which have either been constructed on sites made available by the Government or been established in existing buildings (see Annex III). In addition, there are three transit centres in Bangkok which are used for processing those accepted for permanent reset- tlement in third countries pending their departure from Thailand.
5.
The main elements of the assistance programae are the provision of food rations, including supplementary food for those in vulnerable age groups; clothing; basic household equipment; the construction of temporary shelters; measures to improve water supplies; and medical care. Assistance