1. “When we got to Thailand we did not have any money.
- We went straight into the Vinai refugee camp.
- We had to hide from the UN people as we did not have identification cards.
- We did not have any money so there was a sister in France who sent us money to use.
- We did not get water, we only got it when there were left overs. Just like water, we only got the left overs”
2. “I remember walking across the fields for the charcoal distribution with my mother when I was about six years old. We could hear the students reciting their lessons at school on the left, and we would pass young men playing soccer along the way. Charcoal and food distribution was once every two weeks and we were always happy because we knew we would have a good meal that night.” - Dee Vang, St. Paul
3. MOI (Ministry of Interior) rations, with the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) funds:
○ Rice 500 grams/day adults, 250 / day children under 9
○ Fish 1200gr/month if fresh,1320 if frozen,750 dried
○ Meat 750 gms/mo lean or 900 gms w bones etc. (?) / month
○ Veg 1.5 kg/month
○ Fish sauce 540cc/month adults. 180/month kids
○ Chili peppers 20 gms/month
○ Salt 50 gm/month
○ Oil 30 gms/month
○ Fuel 7 kgs artificial (compressed sawdust or rice husks) /person/month
4. “We went to Section 4 for rice once a week – 3 bowls per adult, 2 per child. Just enough. We collected meat and vegetables near the soccer fields every three days. Not enough.” - Choua Thao, St. Paul
5. Refugees who arrived before the cut off date were able to register with UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and received a BV number (UNHCR number), a four-figure address. BV means Ban Vinai, the camp name. They used this BV number to get rations.
6. UNHCR received funding by Western donors, which they used to purchase food from local producers in Thailand. These rations then were trucked several times a week into the refugee camps. Every refugee household with a BV number was able to receive the rations. Ration quantity is based on the number of people household as listed on the BV number. Refugees often stand in line for long hours at the central distribution point and then again at each center to get their rations.
7. When a family member passed away or they have a newborn, the family reported it to the UN authority and this would impact their ration.
8. Interesting notes: Ration meat were chicken, pork and fish. Many Hmong refugee families prefer chicken or pork rather than fish, so sometimes some would trade their fish with local Thai for other items, such as cooked bamboo shoots, sticky rice, and Thai baht.