The French government has donated $ 1.1 million to help villagers affected by the last year’s flooding.
An agreement for the new “Fund for Social Development” was signed Tuesday by French Ambassador Andre-Jean Libourel and Hor Namhong, minister of foreign affairs. The money will be available next week.
France will provide another $3.3 million to reconstruct damaged bridges along national road 11. Damaged roads and bridges have left some flood-ravaged areas isolated, hampering economic recovery.
The flood-relief money, which will be managed by a bilateral, Cambodian-French committee, will go to repairing flood damage and to support poor villagers living in the affected areas. Local NGO’s can apply for the money, which can only be used for rehabilitation purposes such as building schools or improving veterinary aid and the supply of drinkable water.
Last year’s flooding, the worst in 40 years, killed 347 people. The flood also caused an estimated $100 million in damage to infrastructure.
Thousands of homes, schools and health centers were also damaged by the flood waters. Damage to thousands of hectares of crops also left many facing food shortages.
The new aid is in addition to the $10 million the French government provided last year to 32 French NGOs for their work in Cambodia.
