A Little Help in a Flooded Province

This was the headline in the Cambodia Daily on 7th Oct.

I remember reading the article but then forgot about it instantly; preparing for an upcoming trip to Indonesia and the possibility of floods in Phnom Penh itself were much more urgent.

So I went on the trip, returning on 15th to hear from friends that the situation in Prey Veng had worsened. In fact, it was the worst effected area in the country with Kampong Cham.

After settling all there is to settle after a business trip, last Wednesday we started thinking about what we could do. As it was late already I sent out some emails and PMs to friends to see what would be in the inbox the next morning.

Thursday saw a couple of good suggestions coming in that I followed up by phone, finally deciding on contacting the village headman recommended by a guy who’d been recommended by someone from Choice Cambodia.

A whip- around netted close to $1,000USD, most coming from my owner and our Viet partner.

From this we paid 60USD for a truck out to just before Neak Luong and down the Mekong a further 20km, 100USD for the boats and about 40USD for food and water for us, a group of 5. The rest was used to buy noodles (rice would have been better) and ‘trey kapong‘, canned sardines in tomato sauce (protein, salt, sugar, indestructible). Not a bad ratio, 20% logistics, 80% emergency products.

Loading up.

The usual morning mayhem in Chbar Ampov.

And finally out in the open after Kien Svay.

These makeshift huts for displaced people with their livestock were everywhere (special effects courtesy of my camera!).

More and more cows on the road the closer we got to the Mekong.

And there was more and more water. Flowing water.

Finally, around 10am, near the first ferry.

Then loading it for the first villagers.

The first distribution went well and became quite official.

They’d prepared the sala srok and the recipients were quite disciplined.

A small hiccup when we wanted to get on the small boat.

Heading out over the drowned rice fields.

Lunch stop in this village on an island. By this time we’d crossed the Mekong, this place was normally just 20 minutes from Neak Luong by moto. The little market still had some goods, including fresh meat and vegetables, but prices had gone up because it came from the main road, an hour away by van and boat.

After lunch back to the boat, over submerged land, to pick up the village chiefs of some villages further out.

Then we got to Peamro District, where the locals have been under water since Pchum Ben. The village chiefs called into the forest and the people came out one by one.

Finally the last village. It had not only been completely off but also cut up by the water.

This guy could speako Frencho. He Spent the war in Vietnam.

Dropped off the two headmen, in their flooded forest.

I wished them luck.

And back home.