October, 15 2009, 12:14pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Francis Perez, Country Lead of Oxfam International in Cambodia, (+855)-12 815353 or FPerez@oxfam.org.uk
Soleak Seang, Media and Communications Officer, Oxfam International in Cambodia, (+855) 12 356 389 or sseang@oxfamamerica.org
Looming Food Crisis in Cambodia's Flood Affected Regions
Now finding enough food is a big challenge
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia
A food crisis is looming in flood affected
communities in Cambodia, international aid agency Oxfam warns. Oxfam
estimates that 100,000 people are affected by the floods and 15,000
households are in need of immediate food assistance.
Oxfam expects the situations to worsen if no coordination and urgent
action are taken to deliver food assistance. Thus, Oxfam urges relevant
government bodies, UN agencies, and other humanitarian organizations to
find solutions to the food shortages.
Given the situation Oxfam has decided to urgently assemble food
supply for 1,000 families in the three provinces where it operates.
This is only a short-term solution for a few of the estimated 15,000
families who are in urgent need of food.
'Every community we provided relief items to told us they needed
food urgently. Some people skip meals so that their children can have
more,' said Francis Perez, Country Lead of Oxfam International in
Cambodia. 'All agencies concerned with the current situation must act
now to ensure that food quickly reaches those in need.'
Eight provinces in the central and northern Cambodia are affected by
flooding. Many of the affected families are forced to borrow rice from
each other, but now finding enough food is a big challenge. In some
communities, Oxfam has also observed an increase in food prices which
further weakens the capacities of the most vulnerable to live life in
dignity.
Oxfam have responded to the current emergency in three hard-hit
provinces, Kampong Thom, Stueng Treng and Kratie. It has distributed
plastic sheets, water filters, sleeping mats, mosquito nets, Sarongs,
kettles, water buckets, and soaps to affected communities in the three
provinces. Oxfam has reached about 75 percent of the intended 5,000
families with its relief items despite difficulties to access many
affected regions. It also plans to reach an additional 5,000 families
in the recovery phase in the next three to six months to help affected
communities restore water and sanitation facilities and ensure food and
livelihoods security.
Donate
These Oxfam affiliates have launched direct appeals:
- Oxfam America
- Oxfam Australia
- Oxfam Great Britain
- Intermon Oxfam (Spain)
- Oxfam New-Zealand
- Oxfam Canada and Oxfam Quebec
- Oxfam Germany
Please also consider making a donation to the general emergency fund of your nearest national Oxfam affiliate. Your money will be used to fund our emergency work worldwide.
Read more
More about our work in Cambodia
Oxfam International is a global movement of people who are fighting inequality to end poverty and injustice. We are working across regions in about 70 countries, with thousands of partners, and allies, supporting communities to build better lives for themselves, grow resilience and protect lives and livelihoods also in times of crisis.
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