UNHCR Global Appeal 1999

[maye@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Thailand / Myanmar Border Operation

Basic Facts
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What we do - Provide protection and relief assistance to asylum-seekers and
refugees from Myanmar in refugee camps along the Myanmar border in Thailand,
in the
Maneeloy Burmese Centre (MBC) in Ratchaburi province, and in the Bangkok
Refugee Centre.

Whom we help - 101,600 refugees from Myanmar, of which 100,400 are
accommodated in camps on the Thai/Myanmar border, 1,000 in the Maneeloy
Burmese Centre, and up to 200 live dispersed in Bangkok.

Our requirements - US$ 3,351,700

Our offices - Bangkok, Mae Sot, Mae Hong Son, Kanchanaburi.

Our partners - Operations Centre for Displaced Persons (OCDP)/ Ministry of
Interior, Ministry of Defense, Burmese Border Consortium (BBC),
International Rescue Committee (IRC).

Background
-----------------

Refugees have been fleeing Myanmar for some four decades, prompted by
repeated clashes between ethnic minorities and the Government of Myanmar and
due to restrictive human rights practices, including reported forced
relocations, limitations on movement and compulsory labour, in areas of
origin. In June 1998 the Government of Thailand formally requested UNHCR?s
assistance in caring for some 101,600 ethnic Karen and Karenni refugees from
Myanmar accommodated in 13 camps scattered along the border between the two
countries. UNHCR acceded to this request and, through a subsequent
assessment of the situation, concluded that the agency?s role should focus
primarily on protection monitoring.

Protection

UNHCR field-based protection staff will advise the Government of Thailand in
establishing criteria for refugee status determination procedures to ensure
that groups of asylum-seekers fleeing conflict, or the effects of conflict,
will be permitted temporary protection in camps in Thailand. UNHCR will
provide assistance, as required, to relocate camps at risk of incursion
further away from the border, and, in collaboration with the Government,
will conduct comprehensive and verifiable registration exercises and monitor
the civilian character of the camps. Registration of residents in all
refugee camps along the Thai/Myanmar border will continue into 1999.
Protection staff based in recently established field offices in Tak, Mae

Hong Son and Kanchanaburi will visit the camps regularly.

Protection Outside the Camps

In Bangkok, UNHCR will determine the refugee status of, and provide material
assistance to, asylum-seekers from Myanmar who have compelling reasons not
to reside in the border camps. This assistance will be provided pending
their admission to the Maneeloy Burmese Centre in Ratchaburi.

The Regional Office in Bangkok will consider resettlement options for
compelling cases. Meanwhile, individual refugees may approach embassies
which have specific resettlement programmes for this group. UNHCR will
conduct orientation seminars and training workshops for provincial and
district officials through 1999 to explain the agency?s role on the border
and disseminate information about the agency?s work.

The UNHCR programme, while primarily focused on access to asylum, protection
monitoring, and camp security, may require expansion if conditions in the
country of origin become conducive to the refugees? safe return.

Assistance

The Burmese Border Consortium estimates that the total border population of
100,395, as of the end of September 1998, was composed of 86,896 Karen
refugees accommodated in nine camps and 13,499 Karenni refugees accommodated
in four camps. Comprehensive camp population data, including age, gender,
place of origin, and vocational profiles, will be further developed through
joint Government/UNHCR registration exercises.

UNHCR?s assistance to camp populations will complement that provided by the
Government and NGOs. Most camps are in remote areas and are difficult to
reach during the rainy season. The agency will support local authorities in
improving access roads to the camps and in relocating camps to safer sites
away from the border. UNHCR will contribute to the cost of relocating the
refugees, their belongings and removable camp infrastructure. Assistance in
reconstructing relocated camps, including building refugee shelters and
essential community buildings, water and sanitation systems and electrical
grids, will also be provided. Alternative cooking fuel will be provided in
an effort to minimize damage to local forests.

Community-Based Assistance

A modest level of community-based assistance will be provided in Thai
villages affected by refugee populations. The three provinces will be asked
to submit proposals for environmental rehabilitation and the reinforcement
of community-support structures to redress the negative effects of refugee
settlements.

Support to the Maneeloy Burmese Centre

UNHCR provides protection support, accommodation, food, health care,
counselling services, and education assistance for up to 1,000 Burmese
refugees who will reside in the Maneeloy Burmese Centre (MBC), Ratchaburi
Province, during 1999. An allowance of US$ 21 per month is given to MBC
residents to help them cover the cost of toiletries, clothes and incidental
items. UNHCR also helps maintain the refugee shelters, safe drinking water
network, access roads, drainage and sanitation systems and the electrical
grid. Vector control systems are also maintained to prevent insect and
rodent-borne disease within the MBC.


The International Rescue Committee (IRC) provides basic health services in
the centre. A qualified nurse will be employed full-time to treat minor
medical problems and to refer patients to the local hospital as required.

Assisting Refugees in Bangkok

Some 200 refugees from Myanmar live in dispersed accommodation in Bangkok.
Monthly allowances to cover food and accommodation are provided to these
refugees pending their admittance to the MBC. There is also limited
assistance to allow student refugees from Myanmar to attend
vocational-training courses.

Coordination

The Operations Centre for Displaced Persons (OCDP), of the Ministry of
Interior, and the Ministry of Defense are responsible for the construction
and maintenance of camp infrastructure. They also administer the camps and
provide utilities and security.
The NGO, Burmese Border Consortium (BBC), provides multi-sectoral assistance
to the refugee camps on the Thai/Myanmar Border, including food rations,
cooking fuel, and shelter and infrastructure support. UNHCR contributes to
the BBC?s basic food distributions. Health care, water and sanitation
services, and limited education programmes in the camps are supported by
several NGOs including: Aide Medical Internationale (AMI), American Refugee
Committee (ARC), Church of Christ in Thailand (CCT), Catholic Office for
Emergency Relief and Refugee (COERR), Handicap International (HI),
International Rescue Committee (IRC), Malteser Germany (MHD), Médecins sans
frontières - France (MSF-F), Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), Taipei Overseas
Peace Service (TOPS), and ZOA Refugee Care Netherlands (ZOA).

Budget US$
-----------------

The budget includes costs in Thailand, Myanmar and at Headquarters.

Activities
-------------

Food:    579,563

Transport/Logistics:    84,833

Domestic Needs/Household Support:    558,226

Water Supply:    54,843

Sanitation:    27,344

Health/ Nutrition:    42,008

Shelter/Other Infrastructures:    243,059

Community Services:     40,000

Education:    12,360

Forestry:    105,141

Legal Assistance/Protection:    136,206

Agency Operational Support:    173,717

Programme Delivery Costs*:    1,053,900

Sub-TOTAL  3,111,200

UNHCR Administrative Support  240,500

TOTAL  3,351,700

* Includes costs for protection, monitoring and coordination.


(UNHCR Global Appeal 1999)
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