Until recently, people rarely ate potatoes and white cassava for regular meals. They were considered a snack for the most destitute.
But Cambodians in the remote villages of Kompong Thom province have now begun eating these starchy roots, usually mixed with a little rice, for lunch and supper several times a week.
In the wake of drought and floods, farmers across the country are running low on rice to keep their families fed from October until the harvest, which normally arrives in November and December but is expected to come several months late this year.
One of Kompong Thom’s most vulnerable communes, Trapaing Russei in Kompong Svay district, reportedly has up to 165 homes facing food shortages.
Uch Vanry, chief of Trapaing Russei, said that most of those homes are made up of orphans, widows, people with disabilities and members of the Kouy hill tribe. He said these people now are eating cassavas or potatoes at least two days a week
The families at greatest risk of hunger live in the villages of Skuon, Prey Moul, Trapaing Thmor and Thnowt, all of which sit near the forests.
“People here are poor. They need help from the outside,” Uch Vanry said.
Som Sophat, the second deputy governor of Kompong Thom, acknowledged some villagers are without food. They are just trying to find “anything edible,” he said.
But he added that, “In general, there are not many people who fall poor enough to eat white cassava.”
Last Thursday, national disaster management official Nhim Vanda, visited the province to distribute 5 tons of rice to the villagers and discuss the food shortage with local officials. He lamented the social and economic setbacks caused by this year’s uncooperative weather.
Kompong Thom Governor Nou Phoeung reported to Nhim Vanda that this year’s floods had damaged 365 meters of National Route 6 and 27,471 meters of rural roads. He also said that two people, 75 pigs and 3,080 chickens have drowned in the flooding.
