IHA/719

UNITED NATIONS SEEKS $10.7 MILLION TO ASSIST FLOOD VICTIMS IN CAMBODIA

GENEVA/NEW YORK, 2 October (OCHA) -- In response to the worst flood that Cambodia has experienced in the last 30 years, the United Nations today appealed for $10.7 million to help 850,000 victims during the first six months of an urgent relief and rehabilitation programme, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced today.

The floods have claimed 180 human lives and have affected over 2.2 million people, or 20 per cent of the country�s population. Close to 200,000 people have been displaced. The floods have also caused extensive damage to agriculture, in particular rice crops, Cambodian people�s main source of livelihood and the staple of the country�s economy. The Cambodian Government has exhausted most of its relief resources, in particular food stocks, and requested urgent international assistance.

The United Nations Inter-Agency Appeal intends to assist those who suffered most from the consequences of the floods, focusing on relief and initial rehabilitation in such sectors as food, agriculture, shelters, health, water, sanitation and education.

Coordination and management are also taken into account by this Inter-Agency Appeal, which has been prepared by the United Nations Disaster Management Team in- country, under the leadership of the United Nations Resident Coordinator, with support from the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination team led by the OCHA Regional Disaster Response Advisor for Asia. Participating agencies are: the World Food Programme (WFP), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and OCHA.

As an immediate response to the Appeal, OCHA has decided to allocate a total amount of $525,000, drawn up from the grants of $50,000 from Norway and $30,000 from Denmark, as well as $445,000 from OCHA�s resources. Those funds will be used for emergency assistance for food, shelter and other priority needs through relevant United Nations agencies.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and other leading non-governmental organizations are lending parallel support to Cambodian disaster victims.

For further information, please contact: Donato Kiniger-Passigli, OCHA, Geneva (tel.: 917-2653), Phyllis Lee or Rosa Malango, OCHA New York (tel.: 963- 4832/2380). Please also view the OCHA Internet Website at http://www.reliefweb.int

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United Nations