Following devastating flooding in Texas on July 4 and Tropical Storm Chantal in North Carolina on July 6, CWS has distributed more than $163,000 in emergency supplies and is coordinating with partners to assess needs and provide support—including safe, temporary housing through Airbnb.org. Over 3,000 CWS Kits and Blankets have already been delivered to impacted families across both states.
On Tuesday, July 22, Typhoon Wipha made landfall, causing extreme flooding along the Thai-Myanmar border. Those most severely impacted include Burmese refugee communities. Alongside our local partner, CWS is contributing funds and providing food packages to support those affected.
When disaster and conflict strike, the CWS Emergency Response Fund supports vulnerable communities in their time of greatest need
On Thursday, July 25, armed clashes erupted in Thailand’s Surin province near the Cambodian border, intensifying already high tensions in the region. The fighting has since spread to at least 12 locations along the border, resulting in the deaths of at least 32 people—including civilians—and displacing over 100,000 people across both countries.
In Cambodia, CWS has deployed a field team to Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey provinces to validate and update displacement data, assess urgent needs—including food, non-food items, health care, and protection—and coordinate with provincial and district authorities to ensure our response aligns with real-time needs. This includes the launch of an early emergency response focused on distributing first aid and health kits to the most affected communities.
In Preah Vihear Province, 4,946 households (17,030 people) have been relocated to 11 designated shelters. In Oddar Meanchey Province, 3,545 households (13,369 people), including vulnerable groups such as women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities, have been moved to temporary safety sites.
With several health centers in the region now closed, access to medical care is severely limited. In response, CWS is distributing 160 first aid and health kits—10 per active site—across shelters in Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey. Valued at approximately $150 each, the kits contain essential supplies to treat minor injuries, prevent infection, and stabilize urgent cases until further care is available. Distribution is being coordinated with local authorities and site managers.
CWS has not yet deployed a team to Thailand, as we await the outcome of ceasefire talks scheduled for this afternoon in Malaysia. Our teams in both Cambodia and Thailand remain on high alert and are closely monitoring developments to guide the next phase of our response.
By contributing to CWS’s Emergency Response Fund, your contributions ensure that we can provide critical and life-saving resources to our neighbors when it’s most needed.
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About the CWS Emergency Response Fund
In the days immediately following a catastrophic disaster, CWS provides cleanup buckets, kits and vital supplies to help impacted people begin to clear up what was left behind. In the U.S. and around the world CWS works with trusted local community-based organizations to reach the most vulnerable communities, including immigrants and refugees, to provide the support these families need. When war, conflict and violence force families to flee their homes in search of safety, CWS provides emergency support along the journey and connects them with vital services to rebuild their lives.
The road to recovery is often long and challenging. That’s why after attention fades, CWS works to ensure that affected communities continue to receive the help they need by providing support to community long-term recovery groups. The Emergency Response Fund allows us to quickly respond to emergencies as soon as they occur. By standing with CWS, you can remind our neighbors on the journey from response to recovery to thriving, they are never alone.