17/08/2008
http://www.flickr.com/photos/floodlaos/2774121282/
13/08/2008
http://www.flickr.com/photos/floodlaos/2762488262/

Latest situations in the affected provinces

In Borikhamxay province the river dropped slightly to 13.7m on Sunday
morning, still 0.2m above the danger level. Hundreds of families there
were affected as 39 villages were flooded and 10 villages faced
shortages of clean water.

“We try to supply villagers with clean water and dry food to give them
some relief, but there is not enough to meet the demand,” he said.
Borikhamxay Provincial Flooding and Drought Prevention Committee Head,
Mr Leuam Sonsyvilay, said 169 families were evacuated from their homes
and several roads remained underwater, causing traffic difficulties.

About 13,041 hectares of rice fields were flooded, 1,000 hectares more
than late last week. Livestock deaths have reached at least 50 cows,
40 buffalos and almost 300 pigs. More than 300,000 fish caged in the
river also died from contaminated floodwaters.

Mr Leuam said three villages in the urban town of Pakxan had been
flooded, but fortunately electricity and water supplies remained
available.
Mr Leuam said health problems caused by flooding were a major concern,
as he had already seen many people who were infected with
conjunctivitis and skin diseases.

“We are very concerned about the issue and have sent a report to the
government to be aware of the problem and seek ways to address it,” he
said.

“Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh visited flooded areas of our
province and he will also fly to southern provinces to investigate the
situation.”
In Khammuan province, the water level is yet to reach the danger mark
of 14m. It had reached only 13.7m by Sunday morning.

Despite this, more than 37,000 people in 6,741 families have been
impacted by flooding in that province, and 10,200 hectares of rice
fields in six districts have flooded, including Thakhek, Nongbok,
Xebangfay, Hinboun, Mahaxay and Nhommalath.

Khammuan Flooding and Drought Prevention Committee's Secretariat Head,
Mr Bounsieng Xaphakdy, said his provincial authorities mobilised more
than 200 police and military officers to work in cooperation with
villagers on the weekend to build sandbag walls to prevent possible
flooding in the urban town.

“We have built a 1m-high sandbag wall at the riverside of Thakhek town
to prevent flooding,” he said.

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