Hat yai: The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) has launched a flood relief caravan and established a temporary shelter to assist citizens and students affected by the recent flooding in the southern region.
According to Thai News Agency, the caravan was organized to transport relief supplies to flood victims in Hat Yai, Songkhla Province, and surrounding areas. The Ministry has directed the frontline MHESI team to set up a temporary shelter, open a central kitchen, and upgrade the shelter into a field hospital to provide medical and nursing services. Mr. Surasak Pancharoenworakul, Minister of MHESI, presided over the launch of a truck carrying donated supplies from agencies under MHESI, higher education institutions, and network partners. The supplies include essential items such as rice, dried food, ready-to-eat meals, drinking water, clothing, medicine, and pet supplies.
Mr. Surasak emphasized that MHESI has mobilized resources from its agencies and partners to collect consumer goods, innovations derived from research, and other essential items to be distributed to flood victims in the southern region, particularly in Songkhla, Phatthalung, Satun, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat provinces. The distributed items include drinking water, boxed milk, powdered milk for children, canned fish, rice, instant noodles, medicines, and medical supplies, among others. Local higher education institutions are expediting assistance to affected citizens, including students and staff from universities such as Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla Rajabhat University, Thaksin University, Walailak University, and Yala Rajabhat University.
Narathiwat Rajanagarindra University, for example, has established temporary shelters, opened a student assistance center, a central kitchen, and accepted donations. Volunteer units have been deployed to distribute food, drinking water, consumer goods, medicine, tools, and other necessities. Temporary shelters have been upgraded to field hospitals, providing medical and nursing services by a team of doctors, medical students, teachers, nursing students, and volunteers. These teams are dedicated to assisting the public and supporting their recovery from the severe flooding.
Mr. Surasak stated, "The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) is ready to provide assistance, resolve problems, and alleviate the impacts of the disaster to our fellow citizens affected as quickly as possible, to the best of our ability, and continuously. Anyone wishing to support this relief operation can donate items to the MHESI Flood Operations Center for the People, Phra Chom Klao Building, Office of the Permanent Secretary, MHESI. These items will be collected and distributed to those affected in the affected areas."