BANGKOK, 9 May 2025 – The Royal Thai Government has contributed 3 million baht to UNICEF in support of humanitarian efforts for children and families affected by the devastating earthquake that struck Myanmar on 28 March 2025. The funds will be directed toward UNICEF’s water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programmes in the hardest-hit regions.
At an official handover ceremony on 8 May 2025 hosted by Pinsuda Jayanama, Director-General of the Department of International Organizations, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok, Kyungsun Kim, UNICEF Representative for Thailand, expressed sincere appreciation for Thailand’s timely and generous support.
“The Thai Government’s solidarity at this critical time sends a powerful message of compassion to children and families in Myanmar,” said Kim. “This contribution will help provide life-saving support to children who are facing immense hardship and are at increased risk of disease and displacement.”
Five weeks after the earthquake, an estimated 6.3 million people, including nearly 2 million children, remain in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. Many families are still living in overcrowded, makeshift shelters with limited access to safe water, sanitation, healthcare, education, and psychosocial support.
In the hardest-hit areas, damaged boreholes, broken piped systems, and contaminated wells have left communities without access to safe water. Temporary shelters lack basic sanitation, and the early onset of the monsoon season threatens to worsen already dire conditions and increase the risks of outbreaks such as cholera, dengue, malaria, measles and skin diseases.
UNICEF and partners have scaled up their joint response, reaching over 565,000 people with temporary access to safe water through the provision of water purification supplies, and more than 300,000 people with hygiene kits, water containers, and sanitation materials. Thailand’s contribution will help sustain and expand these life-saving efforts, including repairs to water systems and the installation of latrines and handwashing stations in the most affected communities.
With over 64,000 latrines destroyed and early reports of acute diarrhea emerging, urgent action is required to prevent further disease outbreaks. UNICEF continues to prioritize WASH interventions alongside hygiene promotion to safeguard children’s health and well-being, especially as many remain in overcrowded shelters and healthcare facilities continue to operate under severe strain.
Even before the earthquake, nearly 20 million people in Myanmar – including 6.4 million children – were in need of humanitarian assistance due to ongoing conflict, climate-related disasters, displacement, and economic hardship. The current crisis has only deepened these existing vulnerabilities.
In addition to WASH, UNICEF is also working to meet urgent needs in other critical areas including child protection, education, nutrition, and mental health support. All of this work is designed to help communities recover with increased resilience.
