Cambodia seeks Kuwaiti aid for flood victims

Oct 17, 2011
(KUNA)

KUWAIT -- Prospected Kuwaiti relief assistance for victims of the deadly floods in Cambodia was basic topic discussed on Monday by the top diplomat of the Asian nation and the number-one national relief official, Barjas Homoud Al-Barjas. Emerging from a meeting with Al-Barjas, the Chairman of the Kuwait Red Crescent Society, Lung Kim said the discussions dealt with prospected offering of relief assistance to his nation that have suffered from heavy losses and damage as a result of wide-scale floods.

The floods caused by torrential rainfall damaged many houses, infrastructural facilities, roads, schools, bridges and hospital, Lung said.

He praised the KRCS for its noticeable relief and humanitarian efforts worldwide, particularly in the Asian continent where most of the peoples have suffered from natural catastrophes.

Elaborating on the disastrous flooding in his country, he said the raging waters swamped more 15 towns, demolished main roads stretching 200 kilometers and ravaged 500,000 hectares of rice fields.

The Cambodian people are facing hard conditions that warrant rapid aid from international and regional authorities, the ambassador said, adding Kuwaiti aid for Cambodia would help in sparing lives and restoring normal livelihood for natives of the stricken regions.

For his part, Al-Barjas assured his eminent guest that the society would help the victims in his country and seek to improve their living conditions. He also affirmed the KRC standing policy of aiding all nations in need for such assistance.

According to official reports from Phnom Penh, more than 200 people have died in Cambodia's worst floods in over a decade.

Over 80 children were among those killed in two months of flooding caused by heavy rainfall that has seen the Mekong River burst its banks, according to the National Committee for Disaster Management. More than 270,000 families have seen their homes or livelihoods waterlogged by the floods, which have inundated 350,000 hectares (865,000 acres) of rice paddies across the country. (end) nsa.rda.rk KUNA 171301 Oct 11NNNN