Cambodia (MNN) — Cambodia has faced widespread flooding throughout the month of October, and as the water recedes, the country must find ways to cope with the destruction.
Tens of thousands of households have been affected by this disaster, leaving homes and property severely damaged. Joe Handley of Asian Access says those connected with the ministry have reported a great deal of destruction.
“I’m hearing firsthand reports [from] alumni of Asian Access. I’ve seen pictures of them floating in the water, with rivers going down a normal street where the water [was] so high, it would be above the level of a normal motorcycle.”
The flooding damaged many crops, which is particularly difficult given the challenges the country is already facing.
“There’s a lot of concern in the country right now. They were already impacted by COVID-19 and economic fallout. This flooding just compounds the issue,” Handley says. “There are churches that have been, you know, pretty much flooded out.”
(Photo courtesy of Rosalind Chang via Unsplash)
Help Amid Disaster
As Cambodians begin to regroup from these floods, Handley says Asian Access plans to come alongside them.
“My colleagues are trying to reach out to churches and help them once they can dig out of the mud and provide relief for the people that have no homes to go back to.”
As Cambodia works to recover from these floods, Handley asks for readers to keep the Church in mind.
“Please pray for the Church in Cambodia. They’re dealing with a multitude of issues that are very challenging,” he says. “Pray as we come alongside and equip those leaders to manage throughout a crisis like this.”
In addition to prayer, financial support is very needed.
“My colleagues are crying out for resources to be able to provide aid for society, and their resources are as thin as ever. The razor-thin level resources that most developing world countries had [was used to cope with] the pandemic,” Handley says.
You can learn more about Asian Access and how you can support their ministry here.
Header image is a fishing village in Cambodia. Photo courtesy of Daniel Hansen via Unsplash
