Refugees

Estimates suggest that there are 191,256 refugees (UNHCR, June 2008) who have fled Burma, though the true figure is expected to be far higher. The majority of refugees reside in refugee camps located on the border with Thailand.

Where infrastructure for refugees is not provided, such as in Malaysia, refugees are forced to live in; cramped, shared living spaces in apartment blocks or in camp style accommodation in the jungle, where they have the constant fear or arrest or deportation.

Through partner organisations Children on the Edge helps children living in boarding houses in refugee camps on the Burma-Thai border. Boarding houses provide accommodation, food, education and recreational activities for children who have fled persecution in Burma unaccompanied.  Children on the Edge ensure that in boarding houses minimum standards of care are implemented and that the children’s best interests and rights are realised.

In Malaysia Children on the Edge partners organisations that provide safe places for refugee children to receive an education, receive a daily meal, and enjoy recreational activities. Children on the Edge also supports local refugee organisations that provide for the survival needs of these people. This includes the provision of food, water and shelter.