Heavy rains that began on Sunday 21st of May 2006 triggered flash floods and mudslides in five of Thailand’s Northern provinces. More than 120,000 people have been affected, 366 houses destroyed and 80 roads washed away. Uttaradit Province was by far the hardest hit, accounting for 41 of the dead and 62 of the missing. It is being described as the worst monsoon-wrought disaster in the area in six decades.

In partnership with local churches, Operation Blessing responded by distributing aid to five different flood stricken villages in the Uttaradit Province:

• 3,433 meals
• 1,031 relief packs of essential household items
• 1,200 water bottles

OB also assisted with the distribution of other donated supplies and with the establishment of a temporary relief centre at the local Darn Dum Rong Tham Church in Baan Paa Dung, one of the worst hit villages. A range of cooking utensils and food items were purchased for the relief centre to assist the local church in serving its battered community. All of the 116 houses in Baan Paa Dung were either destroyed or damaged. With the assistance of outside donors, OB hopes and prays to be able to offer longer term assistance with the more costly but urgent need of rebuilding these homes. Total expenditure by OB for the Uttaradit flood relief was 131,819 Bath or about $3,300 USD.