Ref: OCHA/GVA - 2002/0234
OCHA Situation Report No. 3
Cambodia - Drought
26 December 2002

This report is based on information provided by the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Cambodia, the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), IFRC, NGO and media reports.

I. Situation and Damage

1. A prolonged drought due to unusually dry weather during the rainy season, and starting as early as January 2002 in some places, has affected 8 provinces, in particular those of Kampong Speu, Takeo, Prey Veng in the south, and Odar Meanchey in the northwest

By Jamilah Samian/Halimah Sadia
Mercy Malaysia Cambodia Mission 11 recently returned triumphant with a string of achievements. "We successfully initiated the first working relationship with Angkor Hospital for Children in Siem Reap and launched the 2002 Flood Relief Campaign," said MERCY Malaysia Cambodia Country Director, Ms Yang Wai Wai.

The team was responsible in making an assessment on the Pediatric Wing of the Kampong Cham District Hospital for adoption by MERCY Malaysia. "We conducted mobile clinics all around

The Federation's mission is to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity. It is the world's largest humanitarian organization and its millions of volunteers are active in 178 countries. For more information: www.ifrc.org
Appeal Target CHF 3,988,532
Period covered: 01 April - 25 November 2002

"At a Glance"

Appeal coverage: 57.5%
Related Appeals: South East Asia regional programmes (01.30/2002)
Outstanding needs: CHF 1,693,775

Update: Donors are encouraged

This report includes:
(A) Asia Region: (1) DPR of Korea, (2) Cambodia

(B) West and Central Africa Region: (1) Central African Republic, (2) Cote d'Ivoire

(C) Eastern and Central Africa Region: (1) Ethiopia, (2) Uganda, (3) Burundi, (4) Tanzania, (5) Kenya

(D) Southern Africa Region: (1) Regional overview, (2) Zimbabwe, (3) Zambia, (4) Lesotho, (5) Malawi, (6) Mozambique, (7) Swaziland, (8) Madagascar, (9) Angola, (10) Namibia

(E) West and Central Asia Region: (1) Afghanistan, (2) Pakistan, (3) Iran

PHNOM PENH - Because of an extraordinary combination of drought and floods, some 670,000 Cambodians are in need of food aid until the end of the year, the United Nations World Food Programme said today, warning that global climate change could produce pockets of persistent food shortages in the years ahead.
A WFP assessment of food needs ensuing from a severe drought in April followed by floods in August and September estimates that 6,500 metric tons of food aid are required to help families in poor and disaster-prone districts over the next five weeks, WFP Country

PHNOM PENH, Nov 11 (AFP) - Recent rains and the delivery of emergency rice rations to the countryside should stave-off immediate food shortages in Cambodia, officials said Monday.

Nhim Vanda, spokesman for the National Committee for Disaster Management, said this year's rice harvest had been bolstered by unseasonal rain which would help the government to cope with food demand.

However, he added that the threat of longer term food shortages, going into next year, remained and would be reassessed after the harvest.

"What we called urgent aid is now

This Information Bulletin is for information only. The Federation is not seeking any funding or other assistance from donors for this operation at this time.
The Situation

With flood levels fast receding (Mekong River Commission website, 30 October 2002) and people returning home from 'safe areas', concern is increasingly focused on the overall food security in the country. The impact of the drought combined with at least three consecutive years of unseasonal flood levels is likely to have a significant impact on overall crop production. The fact that as many as 30% of the

Up to one quarter of the world's child soldiers in East Asia and the Pacific
Bangkok, 30 October - Noting that up to one quarter of the world's estimated 300,000 child soldiers are currently serving in the East Asia and Pacific region, the head of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Wednesday called for new and concerted efforts to demobilize them and assist their reintegration into society.

In launching the results of a new study on child soldiers, UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy said that the use of children as soldiers by government and non-state armies should be

PHNOM PENH, Oct 29, 2002 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Some 6,500 tons of food were needed to help nearly 700,000 Cambodians most devastated by the country's worst drought in nearly a decade to get through the end of the year, the Cambodia Daily reported Tuesday.

After weeks of examining the short-term food supply in the country, the World Food Program has determined that more than 671, 000 people are in need of 6,454 tons of food aid immediately.

The UN food agency looked at districts over eight provinces stricken by this year's drought and set the food needs