Kun Kim, first vice-president of the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), urged authorities in Banteay Meanchey province to closely monitor the flooding situation in order to organise a rapid response in the five out of nine districts bordering Thailand that are affected.

While leading an NCDM team to inspect the flooding situation in Teuk Chor commune of Preah Netr Preah district on September 28, Kim said the waters had begun to slowly recede because the influx of water from the upper part of Oddar Meanchey province had eased.

During his inspection tour, accompanied by provincial governor Um Reatrey,

Kim visited people door to door and brought along emergency relief for distribution to the 279 households who needed it the most.

According to NCDM, as of the evening of September 28, the flooding in Banteay Meanchey province had affected five town and districts bordering Thailand.

It said 26 communes and 127 villages – a total of 7,536 households representing 34,178 people – had been affected by the floods, with 1,100 people evacuated to safety while seven were confirmed as having drowned.

A total of 27,423ha of rice fields, 1,035ha of cassava and 103ha of cash crops had been inundated, along with 41 schools, 16 pagodas, three health centres and 296 roads, it added