Cambodian Flood Report Nov 2011 Summary

Around 13 families of our ecclesial members, outreach contacts and dormers have been affected by flooding. 3 of those families have required immediate action due to lack of rice, food1 or clean water. Another 5 families will need support over the next few months. The remaining families have suffered crop loss, but appear to have sufficient rice to cope in the immediate future. When the floods recede, a more in-depth assessment of the agricultural situation can be made. To date, we have supplied some 50 kilos of rice, some basic medicines/supplements, a small amount of charcoal and some cash for food. Today, Sister Vichem and a former student, Somneang, are taking some further supplies to families including water filters and additional rice on the list. Additional support is being approved through the local Cambodian welfare committee. The short to mid-term issues being faced include; Immediate needs for food and clean water and medicine. These needs are exacerbated by stress, the constrictive and polluted flood water and existing health issues rural Cambodians face. This is evidenced in the immediate changes in health the otherwise safe families are reporting. As floods begin to recede, we expect more disruption to health from the polluted water, sickness and potentially increased danger from waterborne disease and from sicknesses such as Dengue. Most families will be attempting to get another rice crop into the ground as soon as the flood goes down. This will leave a 3 month period of no food during which the crop is growing. This crop, moving into the dry season is likely to give a reduced yield. If they take advantage of the businessmen now selling water2 for the replanting period they might expect to get a better crop. Rice has nearly doubled in price in some locations. This is an additional financial burden on already stretched families and the added financial pressure will impact on the ability for students to stay in study, both in terms of fees and in terms of ongoing monthly living costs. Loss of some of the development work the Bethzer project had been doing to help families grow crops.

The longer term issues being faced include; Lack of buffer funds that stored crops provide. In some cases, these have already been expended to cover other costs. Some families normally cannot cover the full year with rice and work to buy rice for the last few months before harvest. In this case, a reduced harvest from the replant will make this situation more common and more severe. Some families have rented fields for the last planting and so have lost the yield, the money spent on rental and where the farmers are aged, the costs of having hired labourers to do the work. Some small animals will have been lost, or will potentially die over the next month or so, removing assets. To date, we dont have the expertise to assess the damage to property from the flood, other than to suggest that some of the large bio sand water filters some families have may need to be replaced. Thanks go to our disaster response team of Vitou, Saruom and Vichem. Vitou: Logistics, Accounting, Phone Monitoring Saruom: Field assessment, Report writing3 Vichem: Field visits
1

Food, including meat and vegetable, is differentiated from rice by Cambodians. While it might seem odd to buy water after a flood, suitable water for irrigation would be need to be maintained over the growing period as we move into dry season. 3 The report has been edited and formatted for readability.
2

Assessment of Costs
Summary of costs
Item Immediate costs Mid-term Welfare Pressures Total $ $ $ No./Monthly 2,000.00 3,600.00 5,600.00

Immediate Costs
We are estimating costs of around $2000 to assist families to survive the three months until replacement crops can be grown. $500 of this comprises a fund from which to draw medical expenses, including replacement mosquito nets, medicines and water purification. This includes4 Rice and Food Clean Water Any medical issues arising Any replacement mosquito nets

It does not account for Replacement of necessary farming equipment Inability to pay existing debts Seeds, water and labour for re-planting5

Mid-Term Welfare Pressures

We are expecting that many of these families will be unable to continue to fund the education of their children in terms of food stipends and school fees. This amount is difficult to predict, but if we were prepared to cover those costs for students studying in the dormitory who we might expect to apply for welfare assistance to cover fees and food, then we would need to be prepared to cover the equivalent of 5 students6. That is $1500 fees and $2100 in food fund. A total of $3600 would likely be sufficient.

Longer term Recovery Further difficulties will arise for families who are unable to replant their crops. If they cannot replant and grow a replacement harvest, they will need to look for alternative means of earning income or borrow heavily. A possible solution is to expand an existing Bethzer agricultural project to cover additional families affected by the flooding. The agricultural project would assist farmers in growing replacement crops through small loans and advice. This project expansion is covered in another document.

5 6

Unfortunately, if a family cannot afford to plant a replacement crop, then they will face the same situation in three months The students receiving support for fees or support for food fund would not necessarily be the same.

Families Situations Immediate

1. Seangly (Outreach student): Situation Summary Food Situation: Have run out of food Drinking water: Normally they drink water from the well and use a Bio-sand water filter. Currently, the well is drowned and they boil water to drink. Health situation: Children have got colds and fever

Received 50 kg rice Medicines

Next Actions Required: Details There are 9 members in the family. Her two sisters are widows. One has 2 children and other one has 3 children. The children are going to primary school. Her Mother is 64 years old and cant do much work. The two sisters are working in the rubber farm in Kampong Cham province. They earn about $50 per month to feet the family and send some money for Seangly to study at LCDI. They have no cows or buffalo and have only half a hectare of rice field, because they have sold some of the rice field for Seangly fee at LCDI. They are hoping that Seangly will receive a good education and get a good job. The flood has been very destructive for her family. The water is very deep under her house and they have moved to stay at the neighbors house during the flood. They thought there may be a big storm coming that will knock the house down. They have run out of food and the children are sick (cold). We went to visit on the 20th and delivered 50kg of rice and give them some Vitamin powder drink, Panadol, Enerlyte, and some of Water purification tablets). Another rice delivery in 20 days ($50), and a small amount of money for meat/veg ($15) Monitor health by phone. If health issues arise, immediate action will be required. Supply Clay water filter ($15)

2. Somreang (LCDI Bible Student) Situation Summary Food situation: Have run out of food Drinking water: Normally they drink water from the well. Currently, they are boiling water to drink. Health Situation: Mother is very old and is sick.

Next Actions Required: Details There are 2 members in the family and her Mother is 63 years old. They both have no land to live on. Before, they use to live in a little store in the market with Somreangs aunty. Due to difficulties between the two families living together, the relationship was too hard for her Mother to sustain and they had to ask for help from the monks in the Pagoda who gave them a very small plot of land to live on. The 0.5 hectares of religious land they grew rice on was destroyed by the flood. They do not have anything to live on for the next year. They have already run out of rice and they only cook a little bit of rice porridge for their food. Somreang is now studying at LCDI. BEC will buy food and will ask her to take it back to her mother. Her Mother has got a cold. We gave them some Vitamin drink and Panadol to make it a little more comfortable. Rice delivery on 24th Oct ($25), and a small amount of money for meat/veg ($10) Monitor health by phone. If health issues arise, immediate action will be required. Supply Clay water filter ($15)

3. Sister Davy Situation Summary Food Situation: Have run out of food. Drinking water: Normally they drink water from the well and use a Bio-sand water filter. Currently they are drinking rain water. Health Situation: Father has a stomach condition.

Next Actions Required: Details There are 4 members in the family. Her dad is 50 year old. 2 hectares of rice field have been destroyed by the flood. Her Mother has started a very small business at home. Rice delivery on 24th Oct ($25), and a small amount of money for meat/veg ($10) Monitor by Phone Water Filter ($15)

Less severe:
4. Sister Vichem Situation Summary Food effect: Will run out of food in the next 2 months. Drinking water: Normally they drink water from the well. The Father drinks boiled water and Mother and children drink water from the well. When the well is flooded they drink rain water. Health effect: Father has a stomach disease and the Mother has a cold.

Next Actions Required: Rice delivery on 24th Oct ($25), and a small amount of money for meat/veg ($10) Deliver water filter Monitor health by phone. If issue arises, take immediate action

Details There are 6 members in the family including Father, Mother and children. Her Dad is about 65 year old and has a stomach disease that requires intermittent medical attention. They have about 3 hectares of rice field that have all been destroyed. They seem to be ok for food in the next two months, because they have stored some rice from earlier in the year that was to get them through to the next harvesting on Dec.

5. Sister Phap Situation Summary Food effect: Will run out of food in 1 month, but they have sufficient cash reserves to purchase food Drinking water: Normally they drink water from the well and use a Bio-sand water filter. They have a cousin that is not severely affected by the flood and they share water. Health effect: Brother In-law has a fever.

Next Actions Required: Monitor by phone Deliver filter

Details There are 6 people in the family. Her Mother is about 55 years old and her brother-in-law is the breadwinner of the family. Her family situation is not too bad if compared to the others. Phap is receiving support from her brother who is working in a bank.

6. Sister Sokheing Situation Summary Food Situation: They will run out of food 1 month and they are in a difficult family situation. Have no stored rice. Drinking water: Normally they drink the water from the well and use Bio-sand water filter. Health Situation: No problems.

Next Actions Required: Deliver rice in 30 days ($50) Monitor by phone

Details There are 6 members in the family. Her dad is about 47 years old and they have a very old grandma who is blind. Their rice was all destroyed by the flood.

7. Daran ( Dormer ) Situation Summary Food effect: Food will run out in the next 2 months. Drinking water: Normally they drink the water from the well and use a Bio-sand water filter. Health Situation: Grandfather is vulnerable because of age.

Next Actions Required: None required Monitor by phone

Details There are 8 members in the family. There had 7 hectares of rice field and 6 of them were destroyed by the flood. Some of the fields were rented, so money was lost.

8. Thary ( Dormer) Situation Summary Food Situation: The food will run out in the next 3 months. Drinking water: No problem. Health Situation: Grandma is sick.

Next Actions Required: Monitor by phone

Details There are 8 members in the family. The hill on which they were growing vegetables was flooded. 3 hectares of rice were destroyed.

Minor Issue
9. Brother Channa 10. Brother So Veasna 11. Samady (Dormer) 12. Sam Art (Dormer) 13. Kunthy (Outreach Student) These 5 families they have enough food to eat for this year7. Some of their rice fields have also been destroyed by the flood.

Note: Normally the farmer they grow rice enough for the whole year and they also sell rice for their income to spend the whole year. Therefore some farmer they have enough for to go for 1, 2, 3 month in frond that mean the normally they only keep enough food until the next coming harvesting, which when it come around November until January next year this. But unfortunately the flood washes their crop away. So there will be very struggle for them from January next the end of the year.