Nation TV finds flood relief efforts wanting in South

Nation TV reached out to the "Volunteer Network in the Southern Border Areas", which includes various groups and foundations, to investigate whether the criticisms of flood relief efforts circulating on social media reflect the truth or are merely attempts to discredit the government.

According to sources who are active volunteers in the region, the issues reported on social media align closely with reality. Volunteers agreed that the news underrepresents the actual problems on the ground. 

Key challenges delaying relief efforts and drawing public criticism include the following:

1. Insufficient equipment for volunteers

Volunteers possess the manpower and motivation but lack essential equipment, such as boats and high-clearance vehicles, which government agencies such as the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) and the military typically use.

In the initial days of the flooding, government resources such as boats and trucks were largely absent in affected areas, delaying aid.

For example, in the Na Tham community in Yala province, floods began on November 26. Despite notifying authorities on the morning of November 27, assistance did not arrive until late on November 29 or early November 30.

2. Bureaucratic delays in responding to cases

Volunteers reported significant delays in the chain of command:

Calls to the emergency hotline (1880) of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC) resulted in cases being passed to provincial coordination centres, then districts, municipalities, and finally local administrative bodies such as Subdistrict Administrative Organisations (SAOs).

Municipalities and SAOs often lacked funding and equipment such as motorboats to navigate flooded areas, leaving them unable to provide adequate support.

3. Early days of the flooding: Lack of government presence

In the first few days of severe flooding, widespread calls for help were met with little government response.

Questions arose: Where were the boats, high-clearance vehicles, and trucks for evacuations?

The answers were "We have done our best" and "Government agencies are also affected by the floods and are barely managing to cope themselves. The villagers may need to help themselves first." (This was a response from a spokesman of a military unit in the area.)

4. Systemic issues in government operations

Volunteers observed that government agencies were unprepared for the scale and urgency of the disaster:

No central coordination hub for the three southern provinces.

No mobile units prioritising the most severe cases.

No integration of personnel, budgets, and equipment for efficient disaster response.

Agencies often focused on distributing supplies for publicity rather than addressing core issues.

There was no authoritative figure with full power to coordinate systematically and direct relief efforts.

5. Challenges with celebrity volunteers

Some celebrity volunteers prioritised content creation over effective relief coordination. Without collaboration with local authorities, these volunteers often got lost, arrived late, or prioritised less urgent areas, leading to fragmented and inefficient relief efforts.