Long Heng:EU gives 7 million Euros for ketsana storm regions

EU ADDS €7 MLN TO KETSANA RELIEF FOR CAMBODIA, LAOS, and VNM
The European Commission to Cambodia announced in January 21 that it is providing a further €7 million in humanitarian aid to help victims of Typhoons Ketsana and Mirinae in South East Asia.
It said that the new funds are for humanitarian assistance projects to assist the most affected populations in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. This support comes in addition to the €2 million in 'fast-track' funding that was provided by the Commission within 48 hours of Typhoon Ketsana hitting the central Vietnamese coast and subsequently Laos and Cambodia on 29 September 2009.
“For Cambodia the new funds are being allocated to humanitarian projects worth some €1.26 million, which will provide food, water, sanitation and education material to the most vulnerable victims of the typhoon in the provinces of Kampong Cham, Kampong Thom, Kratie, Siem Reap, Stung Teung and Ratanakiri,” the press release from EC here said.
“The projects will also support the rehabilitation of agricultural activities so that the affected communities can restore their livelihoods. The main implementing partners include the French Red Cross, Save the Children Alliance, Oxfam GB and Concern,” it noted.
"More humanitarian assistance was needed to help the people most affected by the typhoon in addition to the first rapid response. The European Union is committed to help the victims cope with the dire situation and restore their living conditions as fast as is possible" said Rafael Dochao Moreno, Chargé d' Affaires a.i.of the Delegation of the European Union to Cambodia quoted as saying in the press release.
“Tropical storm Ketsana left 21 Cambodian people dead, forced more than 5,000 households to flee, destroyed 2,000 homes and left 10,000 families in need of urgent humanitarian relief. More than 28,900 hectares of crops were affected, with damage to infrastructure and livelihoods,” It said.
“The European Commission regularly provides emergency support to victims of weather-related disasters in the region through non-governmental relief organizations, specialized UN agencies and the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement,” it said
It added that Cambodia together with Vietnam already received in late October €1.24 million in fast-track humanitarian aid to victims of Typhoon Ketsana for food aid and fundamental emergency needs of the people in the affected countries.
At the same time, Ross Sovan, deputy secretary of general and chief of emergency coordination center of National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) said that the fund from EU will directly hand over to the organization partners who are working in Cambodia with Ketsana issues.
“This fund will help restore the areas in some parts and the victims and their contribution,” He told SEAW. “The government in cooperation with other partners is working on the issues such as restoration of the areas and improving living conditions of the victims. My institution just recommended to EU about the top priorities that need the help,” he said, adding that the EU will cooperate with our local officials and local communities to help the people in the region through this fund.
“Moreover, the funds already available and all contracts with implementing partners have been signed,” Pok POUN, the pres officer at the Delegation of the European Union to Cambodia told SEAW by email in earlier week. “Currently most of our partners are in the preparatory phase of the projects, buying the necessary materials or goods which they plan to distribute and it means that the visible activities like materials distribution that will start in next few weeks,” she said. ###