EU Funds 3.45 Million Euros for the Cambodian Flood-Affected Victims

AKP Phenom Penh, July 04, 2012 –

The European Commission (EC) is funding five new projects in Cambodia to assist 70,000 victims of the October 2011 floods which affected an estimated 1.7 million people across the country, a press release from the European Union Delegation to Cambodia said yesterday.

The five projects, costing 3.45 million euros, will be implemented by the EC’s partner organisations with experience in the region: Oxfam GB, French Red Cross, ACTED, World Vision UK and a consortium of NGOs led by Danish Church Aid, it said.

This assistance is in addition to the 2.5 million euros which were made available by the EC immediately after the disaster in 2011.

The projects will be managed by the Commissions’ Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO) and are part of a regional funding decision totally 11 million euros for the countries affected by last year’s floods: Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and the Philippines.

The Head of the EU Delegation to Cambodia, Ambassador Jean-François Cautain, said while the waters may have now receded the humanitarian needs have not. People are still in need and it is essential that we help re-establish livelihoods so that people can get back on their feet again.

According to the press release, the fund will reach 70,000 people across twelve provinces of Cambodia. The assistance will range from everything from basic health care to repairing wells damaged during the last floods. As well as alleviating short term needs, these projects have been designed so as to help people rebuild their lives for the long term; some people will receive seeds to replant their fields, others will get small grants to buy farm animals or restock small businesses so that they can quickly become independent again.

By KHAN Sophirom