Two More Die in Flooding, Aid Response Slow in Phnom Penh
Two more people died in Kompong Cham province on Monday as a result of flooding that has claimed at least 30 victims since heavy rains spawned by tropical storms over the past two weeks caused the Mekong to break its banks and inundate thousands of communities across 10 provinces, officials said. Although the flooding in some areas showed some signs of receding Monday, Typhoon Wutip—the strongest tropical storm forecast in the region for seven years, according to reports—made landfall in Vietnam late last night, increasing fears that a fresh surge in the flood levels could thwart Cambodian relief efforts. … Meanwhile, more than 170 families in Phnom Penh’s Meanchey district were still awaiting assistance Monday since the banks of the Tonle Bassac broke in Chbar Ampov II commune late last week, forcing them to abandon their homes. … Caritas is currently providing relief services to 1,150 families in Kompong Cham, 540 families in Kratie and 1,500 families in Ratanakkiri among other provinces, mostly in evacuation zones dubbed “safety areas,” which are specially demarcated areas prepared by the authorities, NCDM and NGOs. … Caroline McCausland, country director of Action Aid—which is operating in the worst affected provinces—said that normally, municipal authorities, NCDM and the Cambodian Red Cross would coordinate a response in Phnom Penh. … Andrew Moore, country director for Save the Children—which is targeting families in remote areas in the east of the country—said that outside Phnom Penh, the coordinated response to this year’s flooding has been reasonably good. …
Ben Sokhean and Simon Henderson
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/two-more-die-in-flooding-aid-response-slow-in-phnom-penh-44002/
