Every month, the Cambodian peacekeepers who are on a UN mission to the Central African Republic (CAR), distribute 4,000 litres of clean water to 120 impoverished CAR families in the Bria region, where there is a shortage of clean water.
Lt Col Lam Tep, deputy commander of the Engineering Construction Company, commands 15 blue helmets on the mission.
“Every month, Cambodian forces in this country distribute clean water to the people of CAR, with the guidance of General Sem Sovanny, vice-chairman of the National Committee and director-general of the National Centre for Peacekeeping Forces [NPMEC],” he said.
During the campaign, five elderly people who were suffering from physical illnesses were also provided with funds and fruit, to build good relations between the peacekeepers and the local people.
Since 2006, Cambodia has sent 8,475 peacekeepers to carry out humanitarian missions with the UN in nine countries.
These countries include Sudan, South Sudan, Chad, Lebanon, Syria, Mali, CAR, Cyprus and Yemen. The Kingdom currently has more than 800 blue helmets on deployment, in South Sudan, Mali, Lebanon and the CAR.
He said Sem Sovanny urged all members of the force to consider their safety first while performing their duties. They should not underestimate any situation and to should learn from their experiences, and correct their mistakes, in order to win glory for the motherland.
“They must all remember that each of them not only represents the UN, the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces [RCAF] or the NPMEC, but also the whole of Cambodia. Therefore, all of their activities, both inside and outside of working hours, must uphold the national honor,” he said.
