South Korea to relocate thousands from World Scout Jamboree as Typhoon nears
Aug 08, 2023
Seoul [South Korea], August 8 : Ahead of an approaching Typhoon 'Khanun' and an ongoing spell of heat wave that has led to loss of lives in the country, South Korea decided to kickstart a massive operation on Tuesday to relocate nearly 40,000 teenage scouts from around the world, after they were forced to change venues for a 12-day gathering that had become plagued with problems, reported CNN.
The World Scout Jamboree, which was held on a sizable improvised campsite in Saemangeum on the nation's west coast, was meant to provide participants (from across the world), primarily middle and high school students, with outdoor activities, cultural performances, sustainability training, and other events.
Scouts are reportedly departing the main venue over a week ahead of schedule as a result of concerns about the camp's conditions, an impending typhoon, and excessive heat that sickened hundreds of teenagers.
According to Lee Sang-min, the nation's interior and safety minister, more than 1,000 buses transporting 37,000 scouts began departing the jamboree venue on Tuesday.
The participants will be housed in 128 housing places around the nation, and the buses will be escorted by 273 police patrol cars and four police helicopters, CNN reported.
“For the remaining five days, the government continues to operate the jamboree program, and we will support the participants to build the Jamboree experience,” added the minister.
This "emergency evacuation plan" was published by the World Organisation of the Scout Movement on Monday, citing the impending Typhoon Khanun.
According to CNN, the typhoon is predicted to make landfall in South Korea on Thursday last week, dumping up to 6 inches (150 millimetres) of rain. The event has been plagued by a number of problems ever since it began on August 1; the storm is just the most recent.
During the event's first week, hundreds of youngsters became unwell from the intense heat wave, and others visited the on-site hospital for conditions like skin rashes, sunburns, and bug bites.
