Flooding in Cambodia

It’s flood season in South East Asia. Every year heavy rains and flood waters from the Mekong flood a certain percentage of Cambodia’s land. This year is especially bad. The UN estimates that flooding has affected three fourths of Cambodia’s land. About 1.2 million of the population of 15 million are affected.

For rural farmers living on the edge of survival already (including Kuy people) floods are serious business. If the rice crop is flooded high enough and long enough, it is lost. This is typically not a cash crop for Cambodians, but their main source of food. Another big concern is the outbreak of water-related diseases due to a lack of sanitation and hygiene in evacuation sites and to standing water under and around homes.

It was reported that 832 prisoners had to be evacuated from a prison in the northwestern province of Banteay Meanchey. The cities are not immune. Phnom Penh streets are flooding and at least one canal carrying raw sewage has run over its banks.

The Cambodian government cannot help all the people. NGOs and relief agencies step in to help but often it is the most remote people who suffer the most and aid does not reach that far. Roads become impassable and there just aren’t other means of transport to get supplies in.

Pray
•    for relief from the flooding
•    for aid to get to those who need it
•    for believers to step up and help those in their own communities and other places

Praise God for a successful partner forum in Preah Vihear Province last month. It was reported that those attending enjoyed getting to know each other better and learning more about each other’s situations.