Drought and soaring heat leave Cambodian schoolchildren without enough drinking water
Absenteeism from classes is also on the rise as some parents force children to collect water for the family from distant sources
In Cambodia, riverbeds are dry and cracked and the wind feels like a gust from an oven. An extreme heatwave has followed a poor rainy season drying wells, killing cattle and causing water shortages.
Schoolchildren have been hit hard. Many schools have no drinking water, and no sanitation. The ponds and reservoirs that remain are turning into boiling, algae-ridden swamps and poor families are having to pay for bottled water. Where children suffer from poor nutrition the shortage is making things worse.
It’s difficult to get water because some of the wells have dried up. My siblings and I have to go to wells very far away and carry the water home
“Children are often the most vulnerable in situations of water shortages,” said Iman Morooka, Chief of Communication for Unicef Cambodia.
“Undernutrition among children is already prominent in Cambodia: 32 per cent of children under-5 are stunted, 24 per cent underweight, and 10 per cent have acute malnutrition.”
A record-breaking high of 42.6°C was recorded in Preah Vihear Province on April 15, according to data collected by independent meteorologist, Maximiliano Herrera.
“Day after day, the heat wave has been an endless surprise after surprise,” he said.