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Background

On October 24, 1979, the first trucks carrying Khmer refugees arrived at the camp of Sakaeo from the southern Thailand-Kampuchea border area 50 kilometers away. Eight thousand came the first day, 6,000 the second and another 6,000 on days 3 to 5. Within 8 days, there were approximately 28,000 refugees in Sakaeo. 
Initially, the camp was no more than a fenced-off area of bush land with no housing facilities, no water, and no sewage system; approximately 2.7 square meters of space were available for each person. Part of the area was designated for the camp hospital; a bulldozer-cleared field with some bamboo-canvas construction provided primitive shelter for approximately 300 patients. When the first refugees arrived, there were three doctors and eight other health workers with limited resources. Nearly 2,000 severely ill or dying refugees were brought to the hospital area in the first few days. 
A few weeks later, the situation had changed considerably. Water, initially brought into the camp by truck, was now provided by two deep wells that supplied a network of pipes throughout the camp. Trench latrines had been installed around the periphery of the camp, and people were taught to use them properly. General sanitation was improved by spraying insecticides, clearing rubbish and draining stagnant pools of water. 

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Last modified: 30/11/09