Cambodia: Floods - Aug 1999

Continuous monsoon rains since late July along the southwest coast of Cambodia have caused serious flooding in the two adjacent provinces of Kampot and Koh Kong. Flash floods on 3 August swept through Kampot Town and surrounding communes, forcing thousands to leave their homes. In the two hardest hit districts of Kampot and Kampong Bay, waters were up to two meters deep, covering thousands of hectares of newly seeded crops. A detailed assessment by the Cambodian Red Cross (CRC) and the Royal Cambodian Government indicates at least 7,000 families were seriously affected and many thousands more will require some form of assistance. Community infrastructure was damaged or destroyed and water supplies were polluted. (IFRC, 19 Aug 1999)