Cambodia signs up to receive additional 1.5 mln USD flood aid from China

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Thursday signed up to receive an additional flood relief assistance of 1.5 million U. S. dollars from the government of China in order to provide food stuff for flood victims.

This amount is in addition to the initial aid of 50 million yuan (7.8 million U.S. dollars) that the government of China provided to Cambodian flood victims last month.

The exchange of notes for the grant was signed between Cambodia 's deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong, who is also the minister of foreign affairs, and the Ambassador of China to Cambodia Pan Guangxue at the Ministry.

Hor Namhong said the extra aid was pledged during the meeting between Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Oct. 20 in China's Nanning while he was attending the 8th China-ASEAN Expo.

"China's relief aid is very important to relieve the difficulties of Cambodia during the flood period," Hor Namhong said. "The aid reflects a long and close friendship relation between the two countries' governments and peoples."

He said the extra-aid will be used to buy rice for the flood victims.

Meanwhile, Pan Guagnxue said that the relief aid was to show the sympathy and condolences from the government and people of China to Cambodia's government and its people.

"As good friends, we have to help each other when one another is facing difficulties and needs help," he said.

Cambodia has suffered the worst flooding in the last decade since August and 18 cities and provinces have been submerged.

At least 250 people were killed and other 1.5 million people have been affected.

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen said Wednesday that the country has already given out flood relief aids to approximately 250,000 affected families with an estimated one million people so far.

The distribution is still underway to reach out to all the flood-affected families of about 1.5 million people, he said during the ground breaking ceremony for the construction of the 5th Cambodia-China Friendship Bridge, or 2nd Chroy Changvar Bridge, across Tonle Sap River in Phnom Penh.

It is estimated that the floods cost Cambodia 521 million U.S. dollars, mainly the damages of rice paddies and roads, according to the National Committee for Disaster Management.