KOICA News Release: trainslation from local newspaper

Rasmei Kampuchea Daily:

Year 17, Volume 5078, Sunday-Monday, December 20-21, 2009

The gifts of rice and other consumable materials of the Republic of Korea for the Cambodian people of typhoon victims were contributed by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea and KOICA with National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) to 3,300 families of typhoon victims in 4 districts of Kampong Tom province on December 17, 2009.

The honorable guests at the ceremony were Mr. Kim Byung-gwan, Representative of KOICA Cambodia Office, H.E. Lee Kyung-soo, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Cambodia and H.E. Nhim Vannda, Senior Minister and the fist Vice President of NCDM and as the high representative of Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister and the President of the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM).

The families of typhoon victims who received the gifts were 500 families of Kampong Svay district, 500 families of Staung district, 500 families of Prasat Sambo district and 1,800 families of Sandann district. The contribution gifts where held at the different places in the same day.

H.E. Chhun Chhon, Kampong Tom governor stated that among the provinces which were destroyed by the typhoon, only Kampong Tom province was seriously destroyed because of the flooded rain and hitting storm.

According to the report of the provincial authority, the storm has destroyed 48 communes and 8 Sangkat, killed 20 people, 48 injured and109 houses were completely destroyed, 428 houses were fallen down the roof, over nine thousands of families were victims, rice plantation of 20 thousands of families with total of over ten thousands hectares were completely destroyed as well as the roads infrastructure were destroyed.

H.E. Chhun Chhon continued to say that he would like to thank to Cambodian Red Cross, other International NGOs, the Republic of Korea.

The gifts provided at that time were 50 Kg of rice and one packet of kits for one family. Then the honorable guests were invited to see the destructive places which were destroyed by typhoon Ketsana.