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Thailand: More than 20,000 Myanmar refugees resettled in third countries

Briefing Notes, 11 December 2007

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Jennifer Pagonis – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 11 December 2007, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

Last week, under the world's largest refugee resettlement programme, the number of Myanmar refugees who had left Thailand to begin new lives in third countries passed the 20,000 mark. Since the programme started in January 2005, a total of 20,878 refugees have departed as of December 10, with a further 3,471 approved for resettlement and just waiting for their departure date.

Nearly every day, Myanmar refugees leave Thailand for third countries. The largest number have gone to the United States, which made an open-ended offer in 2005 to take refugees from the camps in Thailand. Since the start of the programme, 11,737 Myanmar refugees have resettled in the United States, in such cities as Minneapolis, Minnesota; Fresno, California; Lansing, Michigan; Dallas, Texas and Syracuse and Buffalo in New York State.

Australia has welcomed 2,154 Myanmar refugees from Thailand, and Canada 2,132 during this period. Other resettlement countries for Myanmar refugees are Finland, Great Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, and Sweden.

Most of the refugees fled fighting and oppression in Myanmar over the past 11 years, and have been sheltering in nine refugee camps along the Thai-Myanmar border, which now have a population of 124,300 registered refugees.

Resettlement is an important solution for refugees for whom returning home or integrating into their countries of asylum is not possible, and we are grateful to resettlement countries for giving so many refugees the opportunity of a new life.

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Returnees in Myanmar

UNHCR Relief Items Pour into Myanmar

With eight relief flights and an earlier truck convoy from nearby Thailand, UNHCR had by June 6, 2008 moved 430 tonnes of shelter and basic household supplies into Myanmar to help as many as 130,000 victims of Cyclone Nargis. The aid includes plastic sheeting, plastic rolls, mosquito nets, blankets and kitchen sets. Once the aid arrives in the country it is quickly distributed.

On the outskirts of the city of Yangon – which was also hit by the cyclone – and in the Irrawady delta, some families have been erecting temporary shelters made out of palm leaf thatching. But they desperately need plastic sheeting to keep out the monsoon rains.

Posted on 12 June 2008

UNHCR Relief Items Pour into Myanmar

Myanmar Cyclone Victims Still Need Aid

With eight relief flights and an earlier truck convoy from nearby Thailand, UNHCR had by June 6, 2008 moved 430 tonnes of shelter and basic household supplies into Myanmar to help as many as 130,000 victims of Cyclone Nargis. The aid includes plastic sheeting, plastic rolls, mosquito nets, blankets and kitchen sets. Once the aid arrives in the country it is quickly distributed.

On the outskirts of the city of Yangon – which was also hit by the cyclone – and in the Irrawady delta, some families have been erecting temporary shelters made out of palm leaf thatching. But they desperately need plastic sheeting to keep out the monsoon rains.

Posted on 12 June 2008

Myanmar Cyclone Victims Still Need Aid

A new life for refugees from BhutanPlay video

A new life for refugees from Bhutan

They fled to Nepal from Bhutan amid ethnic tensions in the early 1990s. Now, many of the slightly more than 100,000 refugees have been offered the possibility of resettlement to another country.
Aid To Myanmar Cyclone VictimsPlay video

Aid To Myanmar Cyclone Victims

UNHCR has sent in almost 120 tonnes of aid to help more than 10,000 victims in Myanmar of Cyclone Nargis.
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Through ninemillion.org Paw Wah, a young refugee living in a refugee camp in Thailand is able to share with you a glimps of her life. To learn more about the ninemillion.org campaign visit the website.