The worst floods Cambodia has seen in a more than a decade continue to wreak havoc across the country with 247 people reported dead, more than 46,000 households displaced and an estimated 1.2 million Cambodians have been affected. A month after the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers broke their banks, water levels have still not receded.
Families sit idly under tarpaulins by the side of the road, their cows tied up close by. They cannot work; their farms are submerged and their crops destroyed. Some families say their food rations are running low. Access to safe water and sanitation are major concerns facing these families. Assessments of needs are ongoing, however, the total impact of the flooding is difficult to assess until the waters recede, and the situation could still further deteriorate. With many roads and bridges submerged and villages difficult to reach, delivery of urgently-needed aid is proving challenging. (Phnom Penh, 20 October 2011 )
Our response
Angkor Hospital for Children, with its Community Program, is working non-stop in Sotnikum District, one of the areas affected by the floods, to assist families turned out from their homes by the worst flooding the region has seen in years. Capacity Building and Health Education Program (CBHEP) plans to reach 1745 families, living in three of the most affected communes in Sotnikum District during the coming months. We need donations to help us delivering aid including food, water, and non-food items such as sleeping mats, mosquito nets, hygiene supplies, and a pot for boiling water.
With only $42 (30 Euro), which is the equivalent of a dinner for 2 in an ordinary restaurant in New York, or a glass of wine and a plate of pasta with sea food in a restaurant in Capri in Italy, or a Lego construction set for your child, or a pair of shoes for you, you will provide temporary housing to a family of 6. With $42 you will provide two beds where children and parents can sleep, mosquito’s nets which will protect them from both dengue fever and malaria. Your donation will enable a family of 6 to drink non-contaminated water with enough food to eat for one month! Moreover, electrolytes will be provided in case of dysentery. They will receive basic education on the prevention of water born diseases, and if needed, we will assist the affected people in reaching the closest Health Center, or we will refer them to our pediatric clinic in Sotnikum.
Your help….
Even though, work has already started, we still need financial aid if we are to cover the first and worst affected families (396!) of Dan Run Commune. We must still collect $16,000 in order to support the 396 families, and a further $74,000 for the three communes of Dan Run, Svang Vuey and Kok Sangke about 40 km east of Siem Reap.
Donate now! to the Floods Emergency Fund. You can also transfer your funds directly to CBHEP’s bank account:
Account number: 0100-10-125288-1-8
Swift Code: ACLBKHPP
Bank name: ACLEDA Bank, Siem Reap Branch
For more information email amra@cbhep.org or daniela@cbhep.org