Mak Heun, a Cambodian-American political and social analyst and a representative of Cambodians in the US, donated 1,500 life jackets to the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) on November 2.
These are intended for use in rescue operations in areas affected by flooding or in the case of boats sinking.
Senior Minister Kun Kim, NCDM first vice-president, thanked Heun and Cambodians in the US for the donation.
“This is a contribution to strengthening the effectiveness of rescue operations to save people affected by floods or should boats sink in Cambodian seas or rivers,” Kim said.
Kim said that Cambodia had this year suffered from floods in Phnom Penh and all 24 provincial capitals, as well as across 133 towns and districts, and 606 communes, with 158,064 families affected and 5,676 forced to evacuate.
Some 219,577ha of rice fields had been affected, with 120,167ha damaged, while 75,328ha of mixed crops were affected, with 35,986ha damaged.
Flooding had also damaged much public and private infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Senior Minister Kim expressed gratitude to Try Pheap, CEO of the Try Pheap Group, for donating rice and funds to help the government in its disaster management efforts.
Having donated 1,175 tonnes of rice to the premier to distribute to people in need, Pheap had fully supported the government in its efforts to resolve people’s suffering, he said.
Floods in the 2022 rainy season have affected nearly 150,000 families, with Prime minister Hun Sen issuing emergency intervention for the provision of food.
Kim brought a thank you letter to Pheap directly, expressing gratitude on behalf of the prime minister for his humanitarian gesture.
To increase the capacity of the NCDM, the government is establishing a search and rescue team for victims stranded at sea or in lakes and rivers.
The search and rescue team plans to spend around $500,000 on training and equipment, with Pheap also donating some $20,000 to the NCDM towards this.
