TNAG-0793-FCO40-997-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1978 — Page 327

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sought by the Government of Thailand.

Of the displaced persons still in Thailand, rly 79,000 were from the Lao People's Democratic Republic, 15,000 from Democratic Kampuchea and 3,600 from Viet Nam.

200. UNHCR's assistance activities, based on an agreement with the Government of Thailand, were directed towards care and maintenance of the existing caseload, the immediate needs of new arrivals and measures to facilitate the resettlement of those wishing to emigrate to third countries. In view of the large numbers involved, arrangements had been made to accommodate the displaced persons in Thailand in temporary relief centres constructed in various provinces on sites chosen by the Thai Government.

201. Many of those arriving since the inception of the operation, especially those who came by boat from Viet Nam and whose number had reached 6,697 by the end of the year, were destitute and in need of immediate relief such as food, shelter, clothing and medical care, until their transfer to a relief centre, or pending the processing of their resettlement applications. Assistance to displaced persons in the Bangkok area was administered by the Relief and Welfare Committee.

202. As in the previous year, care and maintenance of the displaced per sons represented an essential item of UNHCR's special assistance programme in Thailand. It was implemented by the Operations Centre for Displaced Persons, set up in June 1975 under the direction of the Ministry of the Interior, with which close co-operation was maintained by UNHCR staff both in Bangkok and in the field. The assistance provided included food supplies, mainly rice, meat, dried fish, salt, fish sauce and cooking oil, the repair and improvement of amenities within the centres, medical supplies complementing those provided by the Thai Red Cross Society and other voluntary agencies, arrangements for hospital treatment as required, as well as clothing, household utensils, mosquito nets and other basic equipment. In the course of the year, preparations were also made for the implementation of several self-reliance projects in activities such as market gardening or cottage industries.

203. Sustained efforts were made, meanwhile, to secure resettlement opportunities for those wishing to settle elsewhere, and arrangements were made to facilitate inland travel prior to departure. As in previous years, assistance was provided by the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration, which organized transportation to the countries of resettlement. Over 14,000 displaced persons were thus resettled in 1977 from Thailand, including over 5,800 "boat people", thanks to opportunities made available, notably by Australia, Canada, France and the United States.

204. Expenditure under UNHCR's Special Programme in Thailand totalled nearly $9,084,000 in 1977, of which some $5,360,000 were for care and maintenance and nearly $2.9 million for assistance towards resettlement. Supplementing this assistance, food-stuffs, medicines and other relief commodities were made available through the World Food Programme and voluntary agencies.

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Viet Nam

205. At the request of the Government, continued assistance was provided by UNHCR in 1977 within the context of a Special Programme for the rehabilitation of its displaced and uprooted population. In consultation with the authorities, this assistance was mainly directed to consolidating earlier rehabilitation efforts,

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