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Cambodia is facing the worst drought in 50 years and the El Niño has made matters worse by pushing up temperatures and exacerbating water shortage. The country is grappling with soaring temperatures which have hit as high as 41 degrees Celsius, media reports say.
The drought has affected 2.5 million people in 100 districts across the country. Siem Bouk, Siem Pang and Thala Barivat are the hardest-hit districts. According to media reports, water shortage has been declared in 18 of the country’s 25 provinces.
Water shortage has affected the rural areas of the country where farmers depend on rivers and ponds for irrigating their lands.
In the midst of the ongoing drought, food security has become a gnawing concern in Cambodia, media reports say.
The government has asked for cooperation to tackle the crisis. Emergency water deliveries have been dispatched to 18 provinces.
The drought has also killed tonnes of fish and hundreds of animals, news reports say.
Cambodia is at the end of its dry season which runs from October to April. The wet season, which begins in May, usually brings 75 per cent of the country’s rainfall.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has ordered help for those hit by the drought. This includes bringing water by trucks to the worst-affected regions. The Prime Minister has urged people not to waste water.