KAMPONG CHHNANG, Cambodia, Jan. 10 -- China's humanitarian assistance has helpedrelieve difficulties of flood- hit families, HIV/AIDS victims, elderly, disabled and poorpeople in Cambodia, beneficiaries said Friday.
The Chinese government donated one million U.S. dollars to Cambodia in October forpeople who have faced hardships due to severe flooding last year.
One of the beneficiaries expressed appreciations for the relief items, which eased herfamily's difficulties.
"This is the first time in my life that I got the generous donation from China," Yean Sean, 57, a farmer in Kampong Chhang province, told Xinhua on Friday. "This aid is given when Iam in hardship, so I will never forget it."
Yean Sean is the mother of four children. During flooding, her house was submerged andher rice paddy had been destroyed.
Sitting on a wheelchair, Bou Thea, 55, whose two legs were amputated due to landmine in1989, said the relief items were necessary for his family.
"It is donated when I am in need of assistance, it is really valuable," said Bou Thea, who isthe father of five children.
Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Bu Jianguo said that China and Cambodia are goodfriends, neighbors, brothers and partners, and the two countries always help each other indifficult times.
"We have always helped each other during the times of natural disasters," she saidFriday."China hopes that the relief items will help ease the hardships of Cambodian peoplewho suffered from flooding last year."
Cambodian Red Cross President Bun Rany, the wife of Prime Minister Hun Sen, saidFriday that the one million U.S. dollars donated from China was used to buy 2,000 tons ofmilled rice for vulnerable people in the country.
"The donation is really vital to ease the hardships of flood victims, HIV/AIDS patients, andpoor people," she said when distributing relief items to 1,600 families in Kampong Chhnangprovince, about 72 km north of the capital Phnom Penh.
Each relief kit includes rice, noodles, clothes, mosquito nets, blankets, and cash gift.
"China is Cambodia's elder brother and always helps Cambodia in all difficult times," shesaid, adding "the Cambodian people will have never forgotten this humanitarianassistance."
Bun Rany said so far, the Cambodian Red Cross has distributed about 250 tons of China-donated rice to nearly 10,000 families and the distribution was still going on.
Uy Sam Ath, Director of Disaster Management Department at the Cambodian Red Cross,said that more than a million people have affected by flooding last year and they are muchin need of relief assistance. "The Chinese donation will relieve their hardships for a while sothat they can have time to restore their homes and replant rice paddy after the floods," hetold Xinhua.
He said the relief items have been handing out to vulnerable people indiscriminately,regardless of their political tendency.
Cambodia was hit by Mekong River flooding between August and October last year, whichkilled 168 people and affecting about 1.8 million people, according to the NationalCommittee for Disaster Management.
It cost the country nearly 1 billion U.S. dollars due to the damage to road infrastructureand agricultural crops, particularly rice paddy.
