1.4 million hit by Cambodia floods

Forced from their home by Cambodia floods this couple and their 10 children now sleep under a plastic-sheet shelter at the roadside. [ABC]

Thu, 3 Nov 2011
Liam Cochrane, Phnom Penh
Radio Australia News

Cambodia's flooding is worse than previously thought. Latest official figures show more than 1.4 million people may be affected.

As more aid agencies get access to flood-ravaged parts of Cambodia, the picture emerging is grim.

Official government figures estimate 350,000 households have been affected, with 51,000 families displaced.

Almost 4000kms of roads have been washed away and 470 temples damaged.

Denmark doubles aid for Cambodian flooding victims

01 November 2011
ScandAsia.com

The Danish government has doubled its financial assistance to flood victims in rural Cambodia, with a US$60,000 grant to rural development agency Life With Dignity to provide emergency food aid to about 7,000 people in Kampong Chnang province, where parts of the provincial capital remained flooded last weekend.

It said officials in the central province, which the Tonle Sap River runs through, estimated that as much as 60 per cent of the rice crop had been destroyed. “Most of the communities affected by the floods are in rural areas, which are difficult to access – some are accessible only by boat,” the Royal Danish Embassy in Phnom Penh said yesterday, writes Phnom Penh Post.

Asian floods expose child drowning epidemic

Cambodian children ride over floodwaters in a boat

October 28, 2011
ABC Melbourne (Australia)

The deadly floodwaters currently ravaging Asia are shining a light on the "silent epidemic" of child drownings in the region.

Children account for almost a quarter of the estimated 800 deaths reported since July across Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and the Philippines, according to the United Nations.

There are fears the toll could actually be much higher, as many drowning deaths go unreported in Asia because no death certificate is needed for burial.

Children Make-up a Quarter of Southeast Asian Flood Victims

Source: SOS Children's Villages Canada

27/10/2011 – Flooding has affected eight million people and killed 800 in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and the Philippines. A quarter of these deaths have been children.

As flooding inundates parts of Thailand, it hasn’t taken long for children to be swept up and carried away by the surging waters. Current floods in Thailand are the worst in decades and three-quarters of children in Asia have never learned how to swim – a killer combination.

To date, children account for about a quarter of the 800 flood-related casualties reported since July in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and the Philippines, says the United Nations (UN). It is easy for children to wander out of their parents’ sight and fall into the canals and streams in their neighbourhoods or slip into the floodwaters surrounding their houses, especially after dark.

Plan Cambodia reaches 30,000 people in flood-hit provinces

People camped on higher ground in Veal village, Sambour commune, Siem Reap province. Plan / Ong Thearny

Source: Plan International

28 October 2011: Plan has distributed hygiene kits, dry-food rations, shelter kits and mosquito nets to some 30,000 people whose lives have been impacted by the devastating flooding in Cambodia.

Monsoon rains have caused extensive flooding across 18 of Cambodia’s 24 provinces. In Siem Reap, one of Plan Cambodia’s programming areas, all 12 districts have been affected, including 10,000 families with 21,500 children. At least 33 kilometres of roads, 62 schools, 12,000 water wells, 19,111 hectares of rice paddy and 1,616 hectares of other agricultural products are now flooded in the province.

On the ground

Plan Cambodia is coordinating with the Provincial, District and Commune Committees for Disaster Management to ensure timely distribution to families in some of the areas that are hardest to reach because of high water levels.

Cambodia floods require continuing response

26 Oct 2011
By agency reporter
Ekklesia.co.uk

The worst floods in Cambodia for more than a decade, that have killed 247 people, mainly from drowning, and displaced more than 100,000 families, could worsen, international development agency Christian Aid has warned.

"With heavy rains set to continue it is feared the people of Cambodia will suffer even more," said Katja Leven, Christian Aid’s country manager for Cambodia

"The situation will worsen further when neighbouring Thailand and Vietnam open their dams to ease their own floods," she added.

247 killed, 1.5 mln affected by flood in Cambodia

Cambodian children walk on boards put on jars in front of their flooded house at Kean Svay Krao village along the Mekong River in Kandal province, Cambodia, on Oct. 26, 2011. Nhim Vanda, vice president of the National Committee for Disaster Management, said Cambodia has been devastated by the Mekong River and flash floods since early August. To date, at least 247 people were killed and about 1.5 million people were affected. (Xinhua/Philong Sovan)

A Cambodian man walks in the floodwater at Kean Svay Krao village along the Mekong River in Kandal province, Cambodia, on Oct. 26, 2011. Nhim Vanda, vice president of the National Committee for Disaster Management, said Cambodia has been devastated by the Mekong River and flash floods since early August. To date, at least 247 people were killed and about 1.5 million people were affected. (Xinhua/Philong Sovan)

Economic cost of flooding in the Mekong region

October 17, 2011
ABC Radio Australia

Asides from the direct human toll, the flood waters in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam have destroyed crops and suspended work at factories.

Reporter: Sajithra Nithi

Speakers: Javed Hussain Mir, Asian Development Bank; Hun Sen, Cambodian Prime Minister

Click here to listen to the audio program (Windows Media)

NITHI: The floods are Thailand's worst in 50 years and have dealt a heavy blow to the economy, as hundreds of factories are under water.

Japanese car makers including Toyota, Honda and Isuzu have been forced to suspend production in Thailand because of direct flood damage or disruptions to their parts suppliers.

And it's not just the motor industry that has been affected.

Damage to rice crops has already prompted the Thai government to downgrade its estimate of production, from 25 to 21 million tonnes.

Bangkok flood barriers 'holding up'

US marines have been sent to Thailand as part of a survey team to assess how to help Thais cope with flooding [AFP]

Villages along the Mekong river have been hit hard by flood waters [EPA]

Thai military and volunteers continue their efforts to stop Thailand's worst floods in decades from inundating capital.

16 Oct 2011

Source: Agencies

Al Jazeera

In Cambodia, flood waters continued to inundate parts of the country, forcing some residents in the capital Phnom Penh to travel by raft and boat.

Relief workers have reinforced barriers to help defend Thailand's capital, Bangkok, from the country's worst floods in half a century and efforts were stepped up to protect a huge industrial estate to the city's north.

Neighbouring Cambodia has also been hit hard, with the loss of almost 250 people and 18 out of 23 provinces affected.

Despite heavy rain in parts of Bangkok late on Saturday, areas inside the defensive system of flood barriers and canals have so far been spared the flooding that has devastated a third of the country, killing at least 297 people and causing about $3bn in damage.

On Sunday, the focus was on Nava Nakorn industrial estate in Pathum Thani province north of Bangkok, which is standing in the way of one flow of water towards the capital.

Flooding Claims 250 Lives, as Government Response Continues

People sit as they receive flood donations at downtown Phnom Penh, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2011. (Photo: AP)

Friday, 14 October 2011
Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh

“Our people are increasingly suffering.”

The government raised the national death toll from ongoing flooding to nearly 250 on Friday, as Cambodia continues to grapple with its worst flooding in a decade.

More than 30,000 families have been pushed out of their homes in flooding that began in August. About 390,000 hectares of rice crop have been damaged, along with 2,700 kilometers of roadways in 17 provinces, according to government estimates.

The government has set aside more than $100 million to help repair damages, Hun Sen said Friday.

Relief efforts so far have included food and clothing deliveries to some 76,000 families, Hun Sen said. The Council of Ministers will provide more money to extend the relief efforts to another 40,000 families, he said.

Cambodia floods claim 247 lives, forcing cancellation of annual Water Festival

PHNOM PENH, October 13 (Xinhua) -- At least 247 people had been killed by the Mekong River and flash floods hitting in Cambodia since early August, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Thursday afternoon.

"The death toll is on the sharp rise and very concerned," the premier said in a statement after the special cabinet meeting on flood disaster. "I would like to appeal to all parents and guardians to take care of kids to avoid drowning during the floods. "

The floods have affected about 1.2 million people.

It also completely destroyed more than 190,000 hectares of rice paddies, or 7.7 percent of the total grown rice paddies, and affected other 390,000 hectares of rice paddies or 16 percent of the total rice paddies.

97 people killed by floods in Cambodia

2011-09-26
Xinhua

PHNOM PENH - Floods hit Cambodia since last month has killed at least 97 people, a government official said on Monday.

Phay Siphan, spokesman of the council of ministers, said at least 97 people, including a British national, have died.

Cambodia's Council of Ministers on Monday held a special meeting to take measures to deal with the Mekong River and flash floods inundating most parts of the country.

The meeting was chaired by the Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Speaking after the four-hour meeting, the government's spokesman and information minister Khieu Kanharith said the meeting was to deal with the facing issues of floods and post- flood rehabilitation.

Cambodia flooding death toll approaches 100

Sep 26, 2011
DPA

Siem Reap, Cambodia - Nearly 100 people in Cambodia died in weather-related incidents in the worst floods in a decade, officials said Monday.

Government spokesman Phay Siphan said more than 100,000 families had been affected by flooding and around 40,000 hectares of rice fields inundated.

'The focus right now is on emergency food,' he said. 'And on relief centres where people can resettle.'

He said 77 deaths had been reported in four provinces, with 'at least 97 dead' nationwide. The government expects more heavy rain for the next three days.

Floods kill 158 in Thailand, 61 in Cambodia

BANGKOK, Sept 26 (Reuters) - The death toll from flooding in Thailand since mid-July has risen to 158, while 61 people have died in neighbouring Cambodia in the past two weeks, authorities in the two countries said on Monday.

More than 2 million acres of farmland in Thailand are now under water, an area 11 times the size of Singapore.

"Twenty-three provinces in the lower north and central Thailand are under water and nearly 2 million people have been affected by severe floods and heavy rain," Thailand's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said.

Flooding has also affected the capital, Bangkok, which sits only two metres above sea level. The Chao Phraya river has overflowed into roads in some areas, although the authorities have reinforced its banks to prevent serious flooding.

14 people killed by floods in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- At least 14 Cambodians died in flooding that was caused by heavy rain falls just in a week, a Cambodian government official said Saturday.

Keo Vy, communication officer of National Committee for Disaster Management said from Sept. 10 through 16, at least 14 Cambodians have died in the flooding that had hit the country following heavy rain falls.

He said the country's central province of Kompong Thom was recorded with the highest death toll of 11, with five of them were children.

Kompong Thom is a gateway of water flows from the upper part of the country to Tonle Sap Lake, the largest water reservoir in the country.

Cambodia Cleans Out The Pretenders [-Hundreds of casualties in the fight with Thailand?]

Qing Buqiang Zidong QBZ-95 Light Rifle Family

Strategy Page

July 30, 2011: The Cambodian Army has been conducting a vigorous recruiting drive recently. The goal is 3,000 fit and intelligent young men. The new recruits are to replace several thousand older soldiers who were recently retired. Like many nations, Cambodia has long used the army as a jobs program. The emphasis was on keeping the 124,000 military personnel employed, not ready for war.

Cambodia found that there were serious shortcomings with this approach when, three years ago, a border dispute with Thailand turned into a military conflict. Nothing major. The action has been mostly assault rifles, machine-guns, artillery and mortars. There have been hundreds of casualties. What shocked Cambodian commanders and political leaders was how unprepared their army was for even a minor conflict like this. This led to a revitalization plan for the army, which the current recruiting drive is part of.

The border war was unexpected, even though Cambodia and Thailand have long argued over who owns how much of an ancient temple site. In 1962, an international court declared the temple Cambodian, but Thailand continued to claim adjacent areas that the Cambodians insist are part of the temple complex.

Cambodian PM says 24 Cambodians killed in border clashes with Thailand since 2008 [-That's 24 TOO MANY!]

June 21, 2011
Xinhua

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday said 24 Cambodian people had been killed in four-time armed clashes with Thailand over border conflict since 2008.

Speaking during celebrating the 4th anniversary of Cambodian Veteran Day, the premier said the fighting between Cambodian and Thai troops over the border dispute near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple in October, 2008 and April 2009 had killed 3 Cambodian soldiers, and the clashes on Feb. 4 to 7, 2011 killed 8 Cambodians including 4 soldiers, 2 police and 2 civilians.

Also, the latest clashes from April 22 to May 3 at Ta Mon temple and Ta Krabei temple in Oddar Meanchey province killed other 13 Cambodian soldiers, he said.

"Cambodia is deeply sorry for their deaths in the cause of national defense," said the premier. "We hope that there will be no further armed clashes and Cambodia is trying all its best to seek peaceful solution on Cambodian and Thai border conflict," he said.

18 dead in Thai-Cambodia border fighting

Cambodian soldiers stand guard near the Cambodia-Thailand border in Oddar Meanchey province. (AFP)

Tuesday, May 03, 2011
Australia Network News

A Thai soldier has been killed in fresh border fighting with Cambodian troops.

The death toll from the worst border clashes between the two countries in decades now stands at 18.

A Thai army spokesman in the northeast border region has told the AFP newsagency three other soldiers were injured in the skirmishes that involved assault rifles and mortars.

Cambodia says one of its soldiers was also injured.

Thai-Cambodia border death toll hits 18

Tuesday, May 03, 2011
AFP

BANGKOK — A Thai soldier was killed in fresh fighting with Cambodian troops, the army said Tuesday, raising the death toll from the worst border clashes in decades to 18, despite some signs of easing tensions.

Three other Thai troops were wounded in the skirmishes late on Monday and early Tuesday, said Colonel Sukit Subanjui, a Thai army spokesman in the northeast border region.

"Both rounds of fighting involved assault rifles and mortars," he said.

Cambodia said one of its soldiers was wounded.

Thai, Cambodian troops clash again at border, total death toll rises to 17

Sunday, May 01, 2011
The Associated Press

BANGKOK — A Cambodian soldier was killed in fighting with Thailand on Sunday, bringing the total number of dead to 17 as the Southeast Asian nations' festering border conflict dragged on.

The two sides exchanged automatic weapons fire overnight and before dawn Sunday around the Ta Krabey and Ta Moan temples, which are in a disputed zone between the two nations, authorities on both sides said.

One Cambodian soldier was killed by shrapnel from an artillery round, Cambodian Defence Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen Chhum Socheat said.