A donation from the Order of Malta is helping poor families in southern Thailand who were badly affected by flooding late last year. Dr Virachai Techavijit and Adrian Borg Cardona presented 271,000 bahts (US$8,810) to Bishop Joseph Prathan Sridarunsil, who accepted on behalf of The Surat Thani Catholic Foundation. The money will be distributed to 19 families in Satintpra village whose homes were among the most badly damaged and will be used to purchase timber, roof tiles, bricks and aluminum sheeting to repair their roofs for the reconstruction of the roofs. Although the floods hit other areas of Thailand, the far south was worst hit, with considerable damage to the city of Hat Yai and neighboring districts, including farm land, livestock and homes mostly owned by low income families. For many people, life returned to normal within weeks of the devastation, but for some the damage left by the floods and an associated tropical depression are a daily reminder of the horror they experienced some three months ago. Houses, livestock and fishing boats were either swept away or badly damaged, bringing hardship to families who were already struggling before the floods hit the region. With many homes damaged or completely destroyed, many families had no option but to separate until their houses were rebuilt. TH13265.1641