Hun Manet Visits Flood Victims: 44,800 Families Affected Nationwide, Over 1,200 Evacuated in Poipet

Cambodia has recently been hit by heavy rainfall and sudden flooding in several areas. On September 28, Prime Minister Hun Manet personally traveled to the affected areas in Banteay Meanchey province to inspect the flooding, met face-to-face with displaced residents to learn about their current living conditions and relief needs, and pushed forward on-site assistance measures. The floods are linked to heavy rainfall brought by Typhoon Surigae and upstream inflow. As of September 28, ten provinces and 39 districts/cities nationwide had been affected, with about 44,800 households impacted and roughly 3,600 households evacuated to safe areas. In the harder-hit Banteay Meanchey province, waterlogging and rising floodwaters have appeared in multiple areas. The impact on Poipet city has been particularly evident: as of the afternoon of September 28, more than 1,200 households had been relocated to nine temporary shelters, while some residents sought safety with relatives or friends. Local rescue efforts are also continuing. Government departments, police, the military and volunteers have organized rescue boats and inflatable boats to evacuate residents, while providing food, medical supplies and temporary shelter to those affected. Local authorities have also ordered cities and districts to keep monitoring water levels and to organize immediate evacuations if flooding continues to rise. Hun Manet subsequently also visited affected areas in Battambang province and other provinces to assess the situation. He called on government bodies at all levels, armed forces, volunteers and the National Committee for Disaster Management to strengthen coordination and put evacuation and the safety of lives at the top of relief efforts, to prevent residents from being trapped by floodwaters. Water levels in parts of Cambodia are still changing, and rescue and resettlement work continues. For many affected families, the most immediate concerns are safe evacuation, food, shelter, and losses to farmland and homes. The government will need to continue arranging rescue operations and supplies based on changing water levels.