Three villagers from Da commune, Chit Borey district in Kratie drowned on September 20, 2024, after their boat capsized while on the way to harvest cassava during the recent flood which hit seven provinces.
However, Soth Kimkolmony, spokesperson of the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), said they died when the boat sank, dismissing talks that their death was related to rising waters.
“This incident did not happen because of the floods because the villagers went to harvest cassava by boat and the boat sank during the flood season,” he told CamboJA News.
According to him, the flood situation was “not dangerous or worrying”, noting that there were “no deaths or injuries” reported.
He said the upper areas of the country, such as Stung Treng, Kratie and Tbong Khmum are beginning to see water levels decline.
Over the last few days, Cambodia was affected by floods due to the rising water level of the Mekong River which flowed into the lowlands.
“Today, the water has receded [in the village] and the water is slowly rising [due to continuous rain] in the river [Mekong],” Kimkolmony said. “The flood situation is not serious, but there is some damage to roads and crops, but no deaths or injuries.”
The floods affected Stung Treng, Kratie, Sihanoukville, Mondulkiri, Siem Reap, Tbong Khmum and Ratanakiri. More than 10,000 families and 3,000 households were affected while 146 families were evacuated. In addition, 6,500 hectares of rice fields were flooded, with 241 hectares damaged.
“Seven provinces were affected, but Kratie was the hardest hit,” Kimkolmony said.
Although the floods “have not reached a serious level”, he said the national authorities, including the armed forces and the usage of equipment for rescue, are on standby to assist people, as local authorities monitor the situation.
According to Da commune chief Chhoeu Vort in Chit Borey district, the flood affected four villages and 348 families in his commune, while 116 hectares of farmland and 10,800 meters of roads were destroyed. A school and a wooden bridge also suffered damage.
The flood situation is now stable, meaning that the water was “not rising and falling”, Vort told CamboJA News. But, four villages remained submerged.
The commune authorities cooperated with the relevant units to evacuate people to safety with the commune administration setting up safe places in case of floods. It will continue to monitor the situation in the villages.
Asked about the boat tragedy, Vort felt that the sinking was a “combination of flooding and people’s negligence”.
Huon Leakna, who lost her husband and two relatives, told CamboJA News that the boat was hit by high tide and waves which affected the machine.
The 19-year-old was distraught, stating that there was “nothing to look forward to in life”, and needed to rely on herself to earn money.
“The water here was so high. I have never experienced anything like it, and I did not expect my husband to face this problem because he knows how to swim,” Leakna said.
She urged villagers to be more careful on the river. It was important to have necessary equipment to “prevent bad things from happening”. The authorities should address the issue and clearly inform the people.
Resident Chak Samnang of Sereypheap village in Da commune, said she was worried because the floods in her area had yet to clear. In some villages, the water has not receded, while in other villages it has slowly receded. As for the rice fields, some crops were also damaged.
The 55-year-old said her commune had never flooded before. Only this year, the water level rose sharply, flooding houses and fields, and sinking boats while traveling. She expressed sadness that three villagers drowned.
“I noticed that there was a lot of water this year, unlike previous years. The houses were flooded. One or two hectares of my rice farm were damaged. We lost a lot of money,” Samnang told CamboJA News.
She expects the provincial authorities and other relevant officials to help the people who suffered crop damage, such as helping with rice seeds so that people can farm again. Damage to the farmland will affect the livelihood of the family, she added.
“I want the authorities to help us, and when people want to grow rice in the dry season, please provide enough water,” she urged.
On September 18, 2024, Prime Minister Hun Manet instructed relevant ministries, provincial governors and armed forces to be prepared to rescue people from the floods.
“The storm caused heavy rainfall, which saw flooding in our neighboring countries, therefore […] The Governor of Phnom Penh and other provinces should increase attention, be vigilant, monitor and resolve flood problems affecting their area, particularly save people’s lives and property,” he said.
San Chey, executive director of the Affiliated Network for Social Accountability, told CamboJA News that floods affect three key areas – education, health and agriculture.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries should inform people about the risk of flooding on their farms. There should also be health warnings and emergency assistance for flood victims. In addition, efforts should be made to ensure that the floods do not disrupt children’s education.
“The ministry should inform people of the impacts of floods on farming and [provide] options so as not to affect their farm work. The authorities should ensure that flood situations are well-managed,” he said.
According to the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, Cambodia will be affected by the southwest monsoon over the Andaman Sea, the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea from September 23 to 25, 2024, while low pressure is expected in the central Mekong Basin and Cambodia.
The ministry predicted thunderstorms and gusts covering 50% of the lowlands, whereas Cardamom and Dangrek mountain ranges might receive rain with thunder, lightning and gusts covering 40% of the area.
The coastal areas will be hit by rain with thunder and gusts of up to 20% along with waves of 0.5 meters to 1.75 meters.
