Ref: OCHA/GVA - 2001/0184
OCHA Situation Report No. 2
Cambodia - Floods
14 September 2001

Situation and Damage

1. Water levels in Cambodia started to go down early last week. However, this week, water levels in the upstream areas, i.e. Stung Treng, Kratie and Kampong Cham provinces, have started to rise again, approaching the emergency levels. In downstream areas, the water level in Phnom Penh is just at the emergency level, and just above emergency levels in Neak Loeung and Koh Khel. In these areas, the water level is expected to rise slightly. Water levels at Prek Kdam (monitoring for Tonle Sap River) are =BD to 1 meter below the levels reached last year. Should water levels rise in this area, there could be major flooding around the lake (Tonle Sap), as it occurred last year.

2. As of 14 September 2001, the Cambodian National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) estimates that close to 1.7 million people have been affected by the floods and 56 people have died. Rising water has forced an increasing number of people to leave their homes for safe areas designated by Cambodian Red Cross (CRC), most of which only have facilities to accommodate a few hundred families each. According to the NCDM, the number of displaced people has reached 900,000 to date. Around 35 of these areas have been assessed by IFRC and CRC. 16 of them were occupied by approximately 10,068 people. Other safe areas are in provinces where floodwaters have yet to reach critical levels. Hundreds of temples, schools and roads on higher ground have been identified and are being used as temporary shelter in affected communes. There is reason to believe that a large part of the estimated 900,000 displaced people are accommodated by relatives and host communities in, as yet, less or unaffected areas.

3. The following data was provided by the NCDM, summarizing the impact of this year's flooding as of 14 September:

• Number of affected provinces: 12
• Number of affected districts: 75
• Number of affected people: 1,669,182
• The number of affected families: 342,126
• The number of evacuated people: 412,495
• The number of dead: 56

4. The major damages are on crop and infrastructure. Many hygiene and health problems have not been reported yet, but the water and sanitation conditions are deteriorating. The biggest needs are for food, medicine and shelter.

5. The humanitarian situation is aggravated by the fact that more than 300,000 people in 12 provinces are seriously affected by drought and in need of food assistance, according to the NCDM.

National and International Response

6. The Cambodian Government, through NCDM, is distributing food aid to the displaced population. NCDM has not yet informed how many people are benefiting from these distributions. However, it has informed that this information is being compiled and will be made available as soon as possible. On 5-6 September, the King of Cambodia provided KHR 20,000 (USD 5), a sarong, a towel, and a mosquito net each for 1,100 flood and drought affected farmers.

7. On 7-10 September, Provincial Committees for Disaster Management (PCDM), WFP, UNICEF, WHO, UNDP, Provincial Red Cross Branches and relevant NGOs undertook joint needs assessments in 14 provinces. For example, in Takeo and Kampot Provinces the joint assessment team included PCDM, CRC, WFP, UNDP, OXFAM, World Relief, Save the Children, PRASAC, and PDAFF.

8. WFP has provided 500 MT of rice to cover the food needs of 40,000 people for one month. The food will be distributed through the CRC.

9. As of 11 September, the CRC had distributed relief items, including food and shelter materials, to some 10,000 beneficiary families. Distribution has been planned for another 4,000 families.

10. IFRC launched an appeal on 3 September seeking CHF 2,035,000 (USD 1,219,000). The appeal will focus on providing shelter, water/sanitation and health facilities to 100,000 displaced people in safe areas that were designated and prepared by the CRC after last years flooding.

11. On 11 September, the Government of Japan announced that it has decided to extend an emergency grant of USD 100,000, plus an in-kind donation of blankets and plastic sheets, equivalent to approximately USD 160,000.

12. USAID has provided USD 25,000 to meet immediate relief needs of the flood affected population. The assistance will be provided through the American Red Cross.

13. Supported by UN-Disaster Management Team, IFRC and CRC, the NCDM has decided to hold and coordinate Core Group Meetings, Working Group Meetings and Sectorial Sub Group Meetings at national level, and Provincial Working Group and Sup-Group meetings at provincial level, beginning on 8 September, 2001.

14. For coordination purposes, donors are requested to inform OCHA Geneva, as indicated below, on relief missions/pledges/contributions and their corresponding values by item.

15. OCHA is in close contact with the UN in-country team in Phnom Penh, and will revert with further information, as it becomes available.

16. This situation report, together with further information on ongoing emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website at http://www.reliefweb.int

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