In Cambodia, ADRA distributes food to flood victims

28 October 2011, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Cambodia

High levels of rain on the upper Mekong river drainage basin along with seasonal monsoon rains within local provincial areas of Cambodia along with have caused flooding in the entire Mekong River and Tonle Sap lake basins making it the worst flooding in a decade affecting 17 out of 24 provinces. The National Committee of Disaster Management confirms that at least 247 persons have died due to flood related causes.

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Cambodia, working together with trained local partners from the Cambodia Adventist Mission in Kompong Thom province, has assisted 2,509 families with 2,099 receiving food packets including 25kg rice, noodles, canned fish, oil, salt and sugar and 410 receiving 50kgs rice. Tarpaulins have also been provided to 520 families whose shelter has been affected. Through funding from the ADRA network and the World Food Program, ADRA Cambodia is initiating additional food relief to at least 1,100 additional families in Prey Veng province in areas where no or little help has been given to date.

Urgent needs remain. Over 330,000 families, approximately 1,300,000 persons, have been affected, with over 150,000 being children under five. Many families have evacuated to higher ground to escape the floodwaters in low-lying areas. Over 405,000 hectares of ripening rice has been damaged with over 232,000 hectares of these rice crops permanently destroyed. For the majority of rural farmers, 80% of the population, loss of rice paddy means no rice to feed the family.

ADRA Cambodia and its partners continue to conduct assessments in Kompong Thom, Kratie, Prey Veng, Pursat and Siem Reap provinces where 38%, 24%, 16%, 14% and 14% of all households were affected, respectively and continues to coordinate with national and local relief efforts, actively seeking additional funds to expand its disaster response to meet needs. The waters are beginning to recede, revealing the infrastructure and rice crops that have been destroyed. The people now need much more still to reestablish their lives. Reports indicate that over 690 houses, 1,257 schools and 101 health centers were also affected.