374 Schools in Cambodia Remain Closed due to Flooding

Vice president of Cambodia's National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), Nhem Vanda addresses people during an aid donation ceremony for flood victims in Kandal province October 18, 2011. Flooding have killed 247 people in Cambodia since August 13, according to the Prime Minister Hun Sen. REUTERS/Samrang Pring

10th November, 2011
Xinhua Web Editor: Guo

As many as 374 schools in Cambodia remain closed, leaving more than 40,000 students mostly in primary schools unable to attend classes due to flooding, a government official said Wednesday.

Chan Sophea, director of primary school department of Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports said more than 40,000 students from 374 schools have yet returned to their classes as flooding has not receded fully.

According to Chan Sophea, roughly 1,400 schools in 13 provinces across the nation were inundated by flooding that began since August this year.

Of the 374 schools remaining closed, only four are at secondary level, the rest are at primary level and most of them are located in provinces that lie along the Mekong River or Tonle Sap Lake.

Keo Vy, spokesman of the National Committee for Disaster Management said some 51,000 families who had evacuated from homes due to flooding have all returned to their homes.

However, he said, aid reliefs will be continued to be distributed to those who are severely affected for at least three more months.

It has been the worst flooding that hit the region in a decade, with at least 250 people killed and 1.5 million people affected.

The flood is estimated to have cost Cambodia 521 million U.S. dollars, mainly due to damages of rice paddies and roads.