Thailand: Blinded by UXO blast, will young Khu Thauy ever see again?

A strange-looking object caught the attention of seven-year-old Saw Khu Thauy and his nine-year-old friend. But little did they know that what seemed like a toy was in fact an unexploded ordnance (UXO). They curiously picked up the object, only to immediately regret it. The UXO blast caused grave injuries to Saw Khu Thauy and ended the life of his friend.

Saw Khu Thauy was transferred to Mae Sot Hospital in Thailand for appropriate treatment. But the six-hour-journey was rough and full of uncertainty – would Khu Thauy make it? Would he be able to see again?

The story of these two friends is just one of many from the other side of the Thai-Myanmar border. There, villages remain contaminated by unexploded ordnance due to years of fighting and absence of proper medical care forces people to cross over to Thailand for lifesaving treatment.

In Chiang Mai, the International Committee of the Red Cross supports 11 hospitals in the north of Thailand to make sure that people injured by fighting and landmine-related incidents receive proper and timely medical care. We also coordinate with all sectors in Thailand to facilitate the border-crossing of patients.