Bangkok (ILO news) – The Ship to Shore Rights South East Asia programme has approved a 560,000 THB grant to the Migrant Working Group (MWG) and its partners in Samut Sakhon to support relief and assistance efforts for migrant workers affected by COVID-19.

Funded by the European Union (EU), the Ship to Shore Rights South East Asia programme is implemented by the International Labour Organization in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations Development Programme.

The grant will enable MWG to lead and coordinate relief efforts carried out by Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Samut Sakhon, including Migrant Workers Rights Network (MWRN), Human Rights Development Fund (HRDF), Raks Thai Foundation (RTF), and Proud Association.

It will support the purchase and distribution of relief packages to migrant workers and their families, including food and hygiene kits. It will also provide PPE kits for CSO staff and volunteers, enable health education and support a public information campaign for migrant workers, as well as support CSO staff and volunteers by subsidizing the costs of communications, transport and interpretation.

The Samut Sakhon outbreak began around a central shrimp market in the Mahachai district with the first case reported on 17 December 2020. Samut Sakhon is currently designated a ‘red zone’ with migrant worker communities quarantined and lockdowns impacting their health, jobs, livelihoods, as well as access to information and services.

Mi Zhou, Chief Technical Advisor of the Ship to Shore Rights South East Asia programme said, “The COVID-19 outbreak has had a severe impact on the lives and livelihoods of migrant workers and their families in Samut Sakhon. This grant will help ensure that that they receive the support they need to overcome this difficult period.”

The Ship to Shore Rights South East Asia programme supports safe labour migration and decent work in the fishing and seafood processing sectors in South East Asia.

For further information, please contact

Steve Needham
Snr Communications Officer
ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
needham@ilo.org
Tel.: +66 83 606 6628

Jiraporn Wongpaithoon
Communications Officer
ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Jiraporn@ilo.org
Tel.:+66 89 900 5654