Specter of Typhoon Approaching Raises Fears of More Floods
As monthlong flooding that has so far left 122 dead slowly subsides, officials and relief agencies were on Sunday concerned that a powerful typhoon approaching Vietnam may bring more heavy rain and the risk of more floods to provinces where tens of thousands of families have already been displaced. … Though the storm will weaken as it crosses land, last month’s Typhoon Wutip, which was downgraded to a tropical storm, nonetheless brought torrential rain to Cambodia and a surge in the Mekong River that caused the worst of the floods, which have forced 21,000 families to flee to overcrowded evacuation zones, where poor sanitation is of increasingly concern to aid agencies. Oum Ryna, deputy director of the department of meteorology at the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, said that authorities were concerned that the new weather front could hamper ongoing relief efforts and cause floodwaters that are currently receding to move back toward emergency level again. … “We are worried about the impact of Typhoon Nari and whether it will arrive in Cambodia so we will issue a notification warning about the storm [today],” he [Oum Ryna] continued, adding, however, that it would likely weaken as it crossed over Vietnam and Southern Laos. Nhim Vanda, first vice president of the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), said that 122 people had died over the past month, while 120,000 homes have been flooded, 25,000 homes evacuated, and 250,000 hectares of rice paddy flooded leaving a total of about 1.5 million people affected. … Aid groups have helped to evacuate families and bring food, clean water and sanitation kits to those living in so-called “safety areas.” … Vireak Leng, senior program manager for economics, agriculture and development at aid agency World Vision, said that a $500,000 budget has been put in place for three-month and nine-month early recovery projects that will repair health centers and schools and provide families with support to recover from the floods. …
Simon Henderson and Ben Sokhean
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/specter-of-typhoon-approaching-raises-fears-of-more-floods-45003/
