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© Oliver LaumannFlooded countryside in Cambodia.
Cambodia's National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) reported yesterday that 45 people have lost their lives in floods since the Mekong river first broke its banks in early August 2014.

Talking to local media during a conference on flooding issues in the country, NCDM vice president Nhim Vanda also said that 11,500 families across 12 provinces were forced to evacuate their homes. He also said that flood waters are starting to recede. This might suggest that the remaining displaced could begin to return home.

However, there could be more heavy monsoon rain to come. Flooding has already affected parts of north and north east Thailand, with the authorities issuing flood warnings for 20 provinces there. Flooding has also struck some parts of Laos in the last few days.

Heavy rainfall in Laos and and parts of Thailand often results in increased levels of the Mekong several days later. The heavy rain that caused severe flooding in the Thai provinces of Amnat Charoen and Ubon Ratchathani raised alarms in Cambodia about the levels of the Mekong, prompting the Prime Minister to urge flood preparedness.