Joint effort to rebuild Karen refugees’ huts
Only 24 homes will be built at the site in Ban Mai Nai Soi refugee camp in Mae Hong Son’s Muang district where 33 huts were reduced to ash by a fire earlier this month.
Nine families have said they would build homes near relatives in other areas of the camp, according to the province’s Governor Suebsak Iamvijarn.
Suebsak joined non-government organisations, Army personnel, police and related agencies to begin the rebuilding project on Wednesday as construction started on the first three domiciles.
The fire on the night of July 5 at the camp’s fifth living area left 300 Karen refugees homeless and caused damage to 36 other huts.
Ban Mai Nai Soi camp houses about 8,000 Karen refugees who have fled fighting in Myanmar. There are 20 living zones in the camp.
The construction of the 33 houses is scheduled to be completed by the end of the month and is funded by a Bt1-million budget provided by the Border Consortium (TBC) non-government organisation.
Soldiers, border-patrol defence volunteers and Muang Mae Hong Son police will help refugees to build the shelters out of natural materials.
A domicile with less than five residents will be built for Bt15,980, while those with more than five residents will be built for Bt21,460.
The structures will be at least five metres away from each other for fire prevention and to maintain order.