Video News Release

Programme Programa World Food Alimentaire Mundial de Programme Mondial Alimentos

The Food Aid Organization of the United Nations

WFP Cambodia TRT: 2:47 Shot Oct 26-27 , 2011

:00-:07 Flooded areas, boat carrying WFP staff motors across flooded rice fields in the Mekong Delta between Prey Veng and distribution site at Chrey Krohim School in Kampong Russei commune of Prey Vang Province. Shot: 26 Oct 2011

:07-:18 Flooded areas surrounding distribution site, Chrey Krohim School in Kampong Russei commune, Prey Vang Province Shot: 26 Oct 2011

:18-:26 Loading of WFP supplies in boats for beneficiaries, Chrey Krohim School Shot: 26 Oct 2011

:26- 1:11 SOT Edith Heines, WFP Cambodia Deputy Country Director, Samroang island in Kampong Cham Province: Shot: 27 Oct 2011 “This flood is the worst in ten years, it’s comparable they say to the serious floods of the year 2000. There is about 330.000 family and 1,5 million people impacted by this flood so it’s really quite a big scale. There is about 20.000, 25.000 household displaced, they had to leave their house because it was under water. Some family have decided that they preferred to stay in their house although there is water there so they just put planks up so that they can stay in their house because they want to save their little assets that they have. So, the people in need of assistance are not just the displaced people but it’s actually also people that stay behind in their villages.”

1:11-1:43 Beneficiaries loading food onto boats, Chrey Krohim School Shot: 26 Oct 2011

1:43-2:01 SOT WFP Cambodia Deputy Country Director Edith Heines Shot: 27 Oct 2011 “People have gathered here today for a food distribution that WFP is doing together with Save the Children. We are distributing 50 Kg of rice for a family of five while Save the Children is adding some food and non food items like water filter, mosquito nets and some food”. Via Cesare Giulio Viola 68/70, Parco de’Medici 00148 Rome, Italy Telephone: +39-06-65131 Fax: +39-06-6590632/6590637 E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.wfp.org page 2

2:01-2:12 Beneficiaries waiting for food distribution Samroang island in the Mekong river in Kampong Cham Province Shot: 27 Oct 2011

2:12-2:47 Beneficiaries leaving via boats from Chrey Krohim School distribution in Kampong Russei commune, Prey Vang Province. Shot: 26 Oct 2011

Additional Information

Cambodia has been hit by the most severe and widespread flooding in ten years affecting over 1.6 million people and forcing an estimated 240,000 people from their homes.

WFP has launched an emergency operation to address the immediate food needs of about 60,000 people, providing a monthly 50kg of rice per household in five of the worst affected provinces. WFP is now finalising a 12-month Emergency Operation under which up to 150,000 people will receive food assistance in the flood zone, for emergency and needs, and later to assist with reconstruction and recovery.

As well as providing life saving food supplies, WFP is assessing the mid- to-long term impact on food security in flood affected provinces, where there is expected to be extensive damage to rice crops.

Context

Severe flash floods and rising water levels in 18 out of 24 provinces, have affected over 350,000 households (over 1.64 million people) including 700,000 children and over 51,000 households were evacuated. An estimated 250 people were killed as a result of the floods.

Cambodia is among the most vulnerable countries to droughts and floods in South East Asia. 423,449 hectares of rice fields have been affected with 265,804 hectares reported as damaged. (With the total area of planted rice at 2,466,429 hectares, this represents 10.7 per cent of total crops destroyed).

There has been a sharp rise in the price of rice largely due to the floods. October rice prices are significantly higher compared to the previous month.

WFP Operations

The main aim of the current US$500,000 emergency operation is to save lives and protect livelihoods by averting damaging coping mechanisms which are already being adopted by affected households. These include borrowing rice at very high interest rates, selling assets, pulling children out of school, and reducing food intake. page 3

Some evacuated families have started returning to their homes as floodwaters recede in some areas along the Mekong River and other parts of the country. Displaced families are returning to flood-wrecked villages in upstream Mekong provinces though there has been little movement yet in Lower Mekong provinces.

WFP is assessing the mid and long-term food needs in flood-affected provinces while addressing the immediate needs of displaced families in close collaboration with the Government, the UN and NGO partners.

On 12-14 October WFP launched rapid emergency food security assessments in five of the hardest hit provinces: Prey Veng, Kampong Thom, Kratie, Kampong Cham and Kampong Chhnang. The assessments provided detailed information on the food security status of displaced and affected households, food stocks, access to markets, livelihood activities and coping strategies.

WFP chairs the UN Disaster Management Team which is meeting regularly and closely coordinating with the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) and with NGOs.

US$2.5 million has been granted to WFP Cambodia by the Central Emergency Response Fund as part of a wider US$4 million donation to a coordinated UN response.

The Government of Cambodia has welcomed WFP’s assistance under the emergency operation.

BACKGROUND

WFP started its first five-year Country Programme on 1 July 2011 and has an extensive field presence with area offices in Siem Reap, Kampong Cham and Phnom Penh and strong logistical response capacity.

WFP’s last major relief response in Cambodia was in 2009 with a general food distribution to 25,000 households or 117,500 beneficiaries in four provinces. Prior to that Cambodia was last affected by major floods in 2000.

Close to 1 in 5 Cambodian households lives below the food poverty line. When hit by external shocks such as this year’s floods, these households have very limited options. Without the assistance of safety nets they will traditionally need to resort to damaging coping options such as selling essential assets, falling deeper into debt, or simply eating less.

Nutrition levels are of concern with a high prevalence of stunting (39.9%). The 2010 Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey - the 3rd national, household survey since 2005 -showed that 28 percent of children are underweight. This is strong evidence that the nutritional status of children is no longer improving and the same survey indicates that the situation may be worsening with a slight increase in the percentage of thin (wasted) children.

REGIONAL CONTEXT page 4

Several countries in South East Asia (including the Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Thailand) have been affected by successive tropical storms and heavy rainfall since June.

In Myanmar, WFP has provided emergency food supplies to 30,000 flood- affected people in Magway region and is now looking into options to assist recovery and reconstruction.

In the Philippines, in support of the government response WFP provided high- energy biscuits to 537,500 victims of typhoons Nesat and Nalgae which struck northern and central Luzon (northern Philippines) in September/October and affected over four million people. WFP also provided transport services, logistics support, and non-food items including generators, rubber boats, life jackets, satellite phones, water tanks, tents, and temporary warehousing to key government agencies involved in the relief response.

In Laos, following two major tropical storms in June/July which caused significant damage to rice fields and infrastructure, WFP has been providing emergency food assistance to 35,000 people in five of the worst flood-affected districts of Khammaune province. An assessment planned for early December will determine if/how this assistance will be extended in to 2012, and whether it needs to be expanded into other provinces.

WFP does not have operations in Vietnam.