Source: Bangkok Post

A huge procession of Thai people turned out to deliver food, cash and necessities to help Rohingya migrants confined in various shelters yesterday.

Muhammad Sabare, 14, weeps in gratitude as he represents Rohingya youngsters who gathered to give thanks to people who donated food and other necessities to them at a shelter in Narathiwat yesterday. Locals donated to many shelters housing Rohingya across the southernmost provinces. WAEDAO HARAI

In Narathiwat’s Yi-ngo district, Nasaran Salae-ma, headmaster of Akrasatwitthaya School, imam representatives as well as Muslim and Buddhist people gave food, clothes and cash to Muhammad Sakee, chief of the Narathiwat Home for Children and Families, to help 18 Rohingya youths who were brought there.

Shelter staff said health officials in Narathiwat will be contacted to conduct medical check-ups for the Rohingya.

The staff members were concerned about their mental condition as many of them were traumatised from horrendous memories of their hometowns in Myanmar’s Rakhine state.

Muhammad Sabare, a 14-year-old Rohingya boy, led his group to pray for the donors’ prosperity in return.

Through translators, Muhammad pleaded with Thai authorities to help the Rohingya as he and his family were separated for more than two months. He also thanked Thai people who provided them with help. Close to 1,000 Rohingya have been detained in Thailand.

At the Trang Shelter for Children and Families, Trang Hospital officers yesterday performed medical check-ups for 12 Rohingya children and one adult there.

Most of them were found to be malnourished and some had sustained injuries during their long journey.

In Yala, Thai Buddhists and Muslims delivered food, money, clothes and other necessities to the office of Young Muslim Association of Thailand (YMAT) in the province’s municipality. Read more