UNICEF is providing 20,000 insecticide-treated mosquito nets to help protect families evacuated to temporary shelters and living in other flood-ravaged areas in Thailand from dengue fever and other mosquito-borne diseases.
The mosquito nets will be ready for distribution this week and further UNICEF funding will support the government’s flood relief efforts in the areas of health, child protection, water supply and sanitation, and hygiene promotion.
An unusually severe rainy season has resulted in the country’s worst flooding in more than 50 years. More than 370 people, including 61 children, have died. Many provinces, including Bangkok, are inundated with floodwaters and over 2.1 million people are currently affected.
"The mosquito nets will help children and their families ward off dengue fever, which is prevalent in all regions of the country," said Tomoo Hozumi, the UNICEF Representative for Thailand. "In those limited areas where other mosquito-borne diseases are endemic and could become health issues due to flooding, the nets will also offer increased protection."
Children are extremely vulnerable during floods. Threats include death due to drowning, outbreaks of waterborne disease and possible separation from their families. An estimated 500,000 children are currently affected by the floods.