Thailand
Thailand hosts large numbers of refugees from Myanmar. HI works in the refugee camps, providing services to landmine survivors and people with disabilities, improving living conditions, promoting inclusion and providing risk education.
Supporting a man with an amputated leg, Thailand - Humanity & Inclusion | © Erika Pineros / HI
Our actions
Humanity & Inclusion was founded in Thailand in 1982 by two French doctors. They started out trying to help refugees living in camps set up along the border with Cambodia, offering orthopedic fitting to people with disabilities or those who had lost limbs as a result of landmine accidents.
Humanity & Inclusion was founded in Thailand in 1982 by two French doctors. They started out trying to help refugees living in camps set up along the border with Cambodia, offering orthopedic fitting to people with disabilities or those who had lost limbs as a result of landmine accidents.
By 1984, HI was also helping refugees from Myanmar and soon Thai people who had also fallen victim to anti-personnel landmines. These activities in the country led to the opening of 15 orthopedic fitting workshops, which now form part of Thailand’s network of provincial hospitals.
Since 1996, the organization has focused its action on nine refugee camps and on the neighboring Thai villages. It enhances the self-reliance of people with disabilities by supplying physical therapy sessions and locally produced artificial limbs and adapted devices like braces, crutches and walkers.
Pending the clearance of landmines from the border areas between Myanmar and Thailand, HI is raising refugees’ awareness of the dangers posed by mines and other explosive remnants of war. These awareness-raising actions should reduce the risks they will face when they will return to Myanmar.
HI also runs a social inclusion project for refugees with disabilities, improving their access to the various services in the camps. As a result, people with disabilities now have access to education, vocational training and primary health care.
Since January 2016, the site is managed within the MyTh program which was created in January 2016 with its regional office in Yangon in line with the refugees’ repatriation process and aims at strengthening the coordination between HI activities in Myanmar and in Thailand around refugees’ reintegration.
Areas of intervention
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a life
Background
There are more than 90,000 refugees from Myanmar living in Thailand and the route back is littered with vast numbers of anti-personnel mines.
Thailand is home to many refugees from Myanmar. HI’s program is working in refugee camps to provide services to mine survivors and people with disabilities, improve living conditions, promote inclusion in communities, and raise awareness of the dangers of explosive ordnances among refugees.
Number of HI staff members: 160
Date the program opened: 1982
