Poor sanitation, food drove Brits out of World Scout Jamboree in South Korea
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UK Scouts chief executive said it was not just the heat that led Britain to withdraw its more than 4,000 scouts from the jamboree.
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SEOUL – Concerns about cleanliness and food, not just the heat, drove the British contingent at the World Scout Jamboree to leave the event in South Korea, the head of UK Scouts said on Monday.
Britain sent the largest contingent to the jamboree, the first global scout gathering since the pandemic.
Mr Matt Hyde, UK Scouts’ chief executive, told Reuters the group decided to withdraw its more than 4,000 scouts last Friday for their own safety. The American scouts followed.
“We were concerned that the toilets weren’t being cleaned frequently enough. It wasn’t safe in there, and there was rubbish building up as well,” Mr Hyde said.
“There were concerns around food, and particularly those with dietary requirements that weren’t getting the food that they needed, so they were eating less,” he added.
“We didn’t think it was safe for the young people and the adult volunteers.”
Mr Hyde was speaking as the jamboree’s organisers decided to evacuate thousands of participants, mostly teenagers, from the campsite in south-western county of Buan due to an incoming typhoon.
The typhoon comes after one of the worst heatwaves to hit South Korea
Mr Hyde said UK Scouts also had concerns about the medical services at the campsite, located in an area of reclaimed land in South Korea’s south-western Jeolla province.
Parents and the public have criticised the organisers for not anticipating the heat.
Provincial governor Kim Kwan-young apologised on Sunday for not being well prepared, and officials sent more medics, water trucks and air-conditioners to the campsite
Each British scout spent around £3,500 (S$5,980) on the trip, with many relying on fund-raising or donations, Mr Hyde said.
Poland is due to host the next World Scout Jamboree in 2027.
“It is critical that the lessons are learnt,” Mr Hyde said. “Things were promised. They weren’t delivered.” REUTERS
