Heavy rainfall since 1 October has caused flooding throughout Cambodia, resulting in 37 deaths and the evacuation of 42 332 people. Nationwide, as of 20 October, 95 130 homes, more than 25 health facilities and more than 560 schools had been affected by flooding in 19 provinces, according to the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM). The provinces of Banteay Meanchey, Battambang and Pursat, as well as Phnom Penh, have been most affected.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting the health response of the Ministry of Health (MOH). WHO also leads the health sector within the Humanitarian Response Forum, which coordinates United Nations agencies and international non-governmental organizations in support of the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC). The NCDM has activated its national disaster management system at the local and central levels to respond to this emergency and are leading multisectoral rapid assessments in heavily affected provinces.
Dr Li Ailan, WHO Representative to Cambodia, said that WHO strongly advises incorporating COVID-19 and flooding preparedness and response.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to take additional precautions while responding to extreme weather events. WHO and the Ministry of Health are working together to mitigate the health effects of flooding, and to ensure preventive measures for COVID-19 are in place among people in flooded areas,” said Dr Li.
Dr Li and WHO staff accompanied H.E. Mam Bunheng, Minister of Health, and other MOH officials to flooded communities in Banteay Meanchey and Pailin, where flooding has affected health facilities. At Thmar Pouk Referral Hospital in Banteay Meanchey, where floodwaters were one metre deep, 14 patients were evacuated to other hospitals and ultrasound machines, medicines and other medical equipment were removed from the hospital with the help of the army.
A woman walks through the floodwaters outside the Thmar Pouk Operational District Office.
© WHO
In addition to contributing to the multisectoral rapid assessments, WHO is working with the Preventive Medicine Department in coordination with the Department of Health Services, the Department of Communicable Disease Control and other UN partners to support provincial health departments in heavily flooded provinces.
Further, WHO is providing the MOH technical advice on maintaining health services and preventing non-communicable diseases. WHO has also advised on the need to integrate COVID-19 prevention, preparedness and response measures into the flood response, including at shelters for people who have been displaced and flood-affected prison facilities.
In addition to COVID-19, flooding increases the risk of communicable diseases including dengue, chikungunya and influenza. WHO is providing technical and financial support to government departments to strengthen surveillance at the community level and to detect potential COVID-19 cases and other communicable diseases in flooded areas.
WHO is also working to protect the vulnerable by incorporating gender, equity and rights in flood response and preparedness. Health-care staff trained by MOH’s Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse and WHO are providing mental health and psychosocial support in some flood-affected areas.
People can receive the most up-to-date information on the flooding from news outlets or by calling 1294, the hotline coordinated by NCDM and the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.