A sharp winter chill has swept across Cambodia, exposing the vulnerability of rural communities and leaving many elderly residents struggling to cope with falling temperatures.

 

In Kandal province’s Rokarkoang Muoy Commune, 80-year-old grandmother Chin Sary said she had been layering clothes to keep warm but feared she would not withstand further drops in temperature. Already suffering from a heavy cold and cough, she explained that the chill made breathing more difficult.

 

Her neighbour, Chen Chun, also 80, has been bedridden since a stroke left him paralysed. His son lights small fires beneath the family’s bamboo bedframe on cold nights, but Chun admits blankets alone are not enough. “When it’s cold like this, everything becomes harder,” he said.

 

For fisherman Chan Ny, the cold is felt most acutely at dawn on the Mekong River. “No matter how cold it gets, I still have to work,” he said, describing how he carries rice wine to ward off the chill.

 

Local officials acknowledge the hardship. Commune chief Men Sum said the area’s riverside location makes winters harsher. With more than 2,000 families, many elderly, the administration has distributed warm clothing to those unable to afford it. Children are also stepping in, buying jackets and scarves for ageing parents.

 

The Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology has issued a weather advisory, warning that the northeast monsoon will affect Cambodia until the end of November. Lowland provinces, including Battambang, Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, are expected to see temperatures between 22°C and 29°C, while highland regions may dip as low as 18°C. Coastal areas will range from 21°C to 31°C.

 

Officials urged the public to take precautions against the cold, particularly the elderly and vulnerable. For many in Cambodia’s rural villages, however, coping with the chill remains a daily struggle, underscoring the fragility of communities when faced with even modest drops in temperature.

 

-2025-11-25

Blankets, socks, quilts and jackets some to mind. Maybe even a space heater or two. They are miraculous devices and accessories.