Siem Reap – flood crisis eases, leaving sadness in its wake.

Many of the flood waters in Siem Reap and elsewhere have now receded, although two thirds of the communities we work in are still facing high levels of water. Our Kaliyan Mith teams have been taking stock of the situation.

Sadly, one of our beneficiaries, a 15-year old young woman from Chong Koasou community, drowned last week during the crisis. She had been playing with one of her younger sisters near to a flooded rice paddy when she suffered an epileptic attack and fell into the water. Her sister ran to get help from her parents, but by the time they got to the scene their daughter had died. Our team, who know this family very well, have been with them during this time of great sorrow for them, giving both emotional and practical support, including food and meeting funeral costs.

Tragedy also struck very hard at our own staff. One team member lost his brother and three young nephews (the youngest was 4 years old) when the boat they were in capsized, drowning all 10 who were on board.

Our sincere and deep condolences go out to all who suffered the loss of loved ones during the floods.

Throughout this crisis our teams have been working day and night to support those most affected, in total 63 families from across 9 communities.

Now all those who were evacuated from their homes during the floods have returned to those homes, and all our centers are operational once more.

Friends-International would like to express our gratitude to all of you who gave messages of support and who donated to support the work of the Kaliyan Mith teams, for it is certain that by working together with us you have helped make a real difference to the lives of those most affected by the flood crisis. Thank you so much from us all at Friends-International, and in particular from our Kaliyan Mith program in Siem Reap.