With assistance from the Australian Government, the Thai Red Cross has two new emergency vehicles to support Thailand's capacity to prepare for, and respond to, natural disasters.
The trucks are part of a $500,000 pledge made to the Thai Red Cross in the wake of devastating floods that hit the Mekong region and the Philippines last year.
The floods killed more than 500 people and affected more than eight million. Thailand was among the worst hit, with more than 3.4 million people affected. The Red Cross provided critical assistance to communities, some of whom were isolated for long periods.
The trucks will support the long-term capacity of the Thai Red Cross to deliver services and to distribute emergency items such as food, water and shelter to affected communities.
Australia's assistance also helped the Red Cross establish a warehouse to help distribute 8,000 relief kits, 2,000 tarpaulins and 6,500 jerry cans to affected families across Thailand.
Investing in disaster preparedness and risk reduction not only saves lives and livelihoods–it reduces costs involved in responding to disasters, supports resilience, and helps safeguard countries' critical infrastructure.
Successive tropical storms during the 2011 monsoon season caused significant damage in countries across South-East Asia and triggered the worst flooding in Thailand for more than five decades.
Australia pledged up to $5.15 million to help respond to the flood crisis, which included Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, as well as the Philippines.
More information
AusAID's Humanitarian Action Policy
AusAID's Disaster Risk Reduction Policy