In a statement made on Thursday 3rd October 2013, Cambodia’s National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) gave some figures regarding the flooding of the Mekong river and heavy rainfall that has affected the country over the last 3 weeks.
In their statement, they said:
- The recent flooding has claimed 39 lives
- 13 of the country’s 24 cities and provinces have been affected
- 100,000 families affetced by the floods
- 89,200 houses have been damaged by the floods
- Around 10,000 families have been forced to flee their homes
- 533 schools have been damaged
- 291 Buddhist pagodas also suffered flood damage
- 100,000 hectares (247,000 acres) of rice fields destroyed
The current flooding is a result of heavy rainfall brought by a low pressure system in the region. Countries across South East Asia as a whole are suffering, including Thailand and Vietnam. Vietnam is currently bracing itself for Typhoon Wutip, but the Cambodian government has warned that the typhoon could also bring further heavy rainfall to the country.
Sources: New Straits Times; BBC
