PHNOM PENH (UCAN): Caritas Cambodia has signed a memorandum of understanding with the state-run National Committee for Disaster Management [NCDM] to jointly manage disasters in the country.
The government committee’s deputy chairperson, Hang Samoeun, and Caritas Cambodia’s executive director, Kim Rattana, signed the agreement on February 10 in Phnom Penh, a press release said.
The understanding aims “to strengthen cooperation in the field of disaster management, monitoring and evaluation in Caritas Cambodia’s target areas,” the press release said.
Hang said that his office is glad to pair up with Caritas Cambodia for four programmes running from 2022 to 2024 focusing on disaster management and community development, adding that their implementation would ensure disaster preparedness, risk reduction, response and improve efficiency in disaster management capacity building by both agencies.
Kim said that cooperation between Caritas and NCDM seeks “to reduce the suffering of those affected” by natural disasters.
Over the past decades, Caritas Cambodia has been a leading aid group working toward the integral development of people irrespective of race and creed in the country.
Caritas Cambodia started in 1970 as an Aid Commission to support refugees and victims of the Cambodian civil war. In 1973, became a full member of Caritas Internationalis.
The agency was forced to shut down following the takeover of Cambodia by the Khmer Rouge regime in 1975.
Caritas Cambodia was reorganised and re-launched in 1990 with the help of Caritas Internationalis and Caritas France after the end of the Cambodian war.
In Cambodia, Caritas has played a vital role in the protection of the environment and management of natural resources.
On January 31, it provided 250 camping tents to the Ministry of Environment to be used for programmes related to protection, conservation and management of natural resources and to raise awareness among environmental protection among people, particularly the younger generation.
Meanwhile, during nationwide Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, Caritas helped the local Church to provide food rations to 9,000 poor families in Phnom Penh and Takhmao Town. Beneficiaries included local construction and garment factory workers, garbage collectors and fisherfolk.
In October 2020, when severe flooding hit Pursat, Battambang, Banteay Meanchey and Pailin provinces, Caritas and NCDM paired up to provide emergency rescue materials including 20 rescue boats, 115 life jackets, 500 blue tents, 500 mosquito nets, and 500 blankets for rescue teams and vulnerable communities.
Christians account for less than one percent of Cambodia’s population of around 17 million.
There are some 20,000 Catholics spread across three Church jurisdictions: the Apostolic Vicariate of Phnom Penh, the Apostolic Prefecture of Battambang and the Apostolic Prefecture of Kompong-Cham.
