Cambodia Flood 2020: Death tolls up to 40 people

Cambodia Flood 2020: Death tolls up to 40 people

By Soben Pin | Facebook/Twitter@SobenPin

Cambodia — half of the country is now under water after 10 days of non-stop rain in the Southeast Asia region. The flood initially started in central Vietnam, then made its way to Thailand and Cambodia. Heavily hit provinces include Banteay Meanchey, Pursat, Battambang and Pailin – more than 50,000 homes have been impacted by the flood across the country as of Saturday October 17.

Many parts of the capitol city Phnom Penh is also flooded. Sources report Dongkor commune, Borei New World at Veng Sreng Street and many other places are affected by the flood, “people cannot enter their houses even modern or old house structures are almost full of flood so they have to move to other places for safety.”

“Cambodian people, the rich are richest and the poor are poorest and no organization is taking care of mother, grandmother, grandfather who are sick in bed so how they afford, in this situation I am so worried” said Pitou Pin.

Another resident at Veng Sreng Street near Pochentong International Airport posted several videos of his flooded neighborhood in Phnom Penh on Facebook and expressed “this is my city, my country, my home I don’t know what’s going on. The drainage clogged all the water in Phnom Penh already. Thousands of homes are in the water. All the belongings are ruined now. The water reached inside the car. Two days passed, everything is stuck” said Ricky Son.

“Last night, the bridge has fallen in Khan Dongkor, stung Preigh Thnouht, a few districts are in the water. In Kirirom, national road #4, also broke another bridge about 5 million meter cube of water pushed into Kompong Speu. In Phnom Penh, at Kandal Market the water began to go down, but my area isn’t yet. The government declared a national emergency. The government and disaster management are working to rescue people and sending flood supplies” Ricky reported to Khmer Post USA on Friday night.

“The government is overwhelmed, Prime Minister Hun Sen sent out police and military officers and boats ready to rescue people, residents on Veng Seng Street is also evacuated” said Ricky.

In a Khmer Post USA interview, Prince Sisowath Thomico said “Cambodia has a rainy season which often causes some parts of the country to flood but the current level of flooding is never been seen before. This is the results of global warming and secondly because of the deforestation in Phnom Dangrek, within the Banteay Meanchey Province, a place surrounded by mountains which has never flooded before, now has flood”.

Over 40 people have died and many more are under reported from the hard to reach and isolated communities where water has reached their rooftops and people have climbed up and waited to be rescued.

Princess Simarch Soth helped the foods distribution in Battambang providence, reported that many people were evacuated out of their houses by the police and put plastic tents up on the side of the roads as their temporary shelters. Others seek temples, schools and family members when possible, generous neighbors also opened their home and provide victims with sleeping beds and nets. “It is also concerning that with so much flood, animal and humans are mixed now; we worry people will get infectious diseases. We encourage medicine donations in addition to food supplies ” said Princess Simarch.

In 2011, there was also another flood but there was no resulting economic crisis. Prince Thomico Sisowath said he believes this flood is very severe that there will be a national economic crisis and food shortage afterward because the flood ruined all crops in the major provinces which produce rice and livestocks. There is no clear estimate by the government of how much damage this flood has already caused.

Prime Minister Hun Sen stated that there are $6 millions contribution from outside of the country toward the flood victims, Cambodia Daily—Khmer reports.

The United States is funding $100,000 in humanitarian aid to Cambodia through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to help the severe flooding, according to a statement released by the U.S. Embassy in Cambodia.

Many hard-hit communities have been cut off from road access. The floods have affected more than 194,000 people, according the U.S. Embassy report. However, Prince Thomico Sisowath said the living conditions of millions of people are affected by this flood, even the reported number is low. Over 250 districts have been flooded and 19 provinces out of 25 provinces are impacted by the flood. More than one half of the country is affected by this flood – a country of 16 millions people. In hard-hit provinces such as Banteay Meanchey and Battambang, each has millions of residents.

At the request Prince Thomico Sisowath, Khmer Post USA has established Cambodia Flood Victims Relief Fund on Sunday October 18, 2020. Every flood victim family will receive $25 that will support them with food suplies for one week to 10 days. Please visit our fundraising campaign at https://gf.me/u/y5dt22 and donate.