See the press release below:
"This is to announce that the Royal Government of Denmark through its Representation in Phnom Penh on Friday October 21, 2011 donated 250,000 Danish Kroner or approx.US$ 50,000 to Save the Children Denmark for its flood relief efforts in Cambodia and that Mr. Tom Barthel Hansen, Head of Representation, on October 28, 2011signed an agreement with the local NGO Life With Dignity on financial support for emergency food aid to needy families affected by the floods amounting to 300,000 Danish Kroner or approx.. US$ 60,000.
Cambodia is experiencing its worst floods for over a decade. 18 out of the country’s 24 provinces have been affected by floods - approx. 1.7 million people have been affected nationwide, while about 100,000 families have been displaced, according to official figures. Around 250 people have died as of October 28, 2011. The floods have destroyed 13% of the rice crop and damaged infrastructure such as roads and bridges as well as health centres, schools and pagodas in rural areas. In some of the worst affected provinces, for example Kampong Chhnang, the provincial authorities estimate that up to 60% of the rice crop has been destroyed. Most of the communities affected by the floods are in rural areas which are difficult to access - some are only accessible by boat. The flood victims are mainly poor subsistence farmers or day-labourers.
It is expected that the floods will also have a significant negative impact on food security in the medium term as many affected families will have no rice to harvest in November/December. Poor households have lost food stocks, both in-house stores and rice paddy, which creates an immediate rice deficit for households who are already vulnerable. Currently, the price of essential commodities, such as rice, is steadily increasing.
Save the Children Denmark’s relief efforts will be concentrated on distributing food packets and providing advice to and treatment of people who have become ill as a result of flooding, in particular children, in the low laying areas along the Mekong River in the provinces of Kampong Cham and Prey Veng. Life With Dignity will provide emergency food aid to 1,418 needy families or approx. 7,000 people, half of them women, in 3 communes of 3 districts in Kampong Chhnang province and 4 communes in 3 districts in Battambang province. Life With Dignity will provide one food package including water purification and a bar of soap to each of the affected families".
Royal Danish Embassy, Danida - Phnom Penh October 31, 2011