Flooding destroys 3% of national crop
Three percent of the country’s rice crops have been destroyed by flooding in provinces along the Mekong River and around the Tonle Sap lake, and another seven percent is at risk of being lost, the minister of agriculture said yesterday. New government estimates also show that 150,000 families in 10 provinces were living in flooded homes and rising water had displaced 17,000 families. Both evacuated families and many of those who are staying in flooded homes are in need of support, officials said, while an emergency aid expert warned that the loss of rice crops could ultimately push many rural villagers into a cycle of poverty and debt…
