Jim Grossmann CARE Cambodia :

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15 Jim Grossmann CARE Cambodia : 1974 1975 Care Cambodia s refugee assistance program during the war leading up to the takeover by the Khmer Rouge in April, 1975 was one of the most memorable

1 15 Jim Grossmann CARE Cambodia : Care Cambodia s refugee assistance program during the war leading up to the takeover by the Khmer Rouge in April, 1975 was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I arrived in the fall of 1974 from CARE Manila on what was supposed to be a short TDY to Phnom Penh. Harold Silcox and Bruce Strassburger were the Director and Deputy Director. Bruce was a dedicated, tireless worker who really ran the show. Also on staff was an American woman (whose name I cannot remember) who was out there on the front lines with everybody and should be recognized for her work. Bruce s wife Emily was with UNICEF, and Nan Borton was actively documenting, I believe, the CRS programs. Our USAID counterparts in the Embassy were Jeff Millington and Paul White, and both deserve special recognition for their support. Both went on to distinguished careers at State and USAID respectively. Also there, though not a member of the CARE team, was Carl Harris, on leave from the State Department to head up World Vision s refugee programs, several of which were near the area to which I was assigned in the provinces. Carl and I served together again in North Korea over 35 years later in 1999 when I was hired by CARE to head up the US PVO Consortium s food for work feeding program in The Hermit Kingdom. Another story for another time. Patrick Harrington was the CARE Representative in Battembang, and I was assigned to Kampong Chhnang, the Provincial Capital of Kampong Chhnang, and Pursat, the adjacent province to the north west. Both bordered the Tonle Sap, the major lake in the middle of the country. It was rich in fish, turtles and fresh water shrimp, and a major waterway for the boat people, mostly of Vietnamese descent (Photo). Since the Khmer Rouge controlled the surrounding countryside, roads and water ways, the only access to the province was by what we called crash and burn airlines----old C47 vintage planes, which had pilots of questionable sobriety, dubious licenses, and a notorious ability for flying in the most hazardous conditions. Also disconcerting was that the planes had only minimal maintenance because of the lack of security and facilities at the Pochengtong Airport in Phnom Penh. The instructions from the Ambassador to those working up-country were don t get caught. And it was not reassuring to be told candidly from others connected to the Embassy not to expect anyone to come get you and that we were basically on our own. Despite these warnings, I set off with nothing more than a trunk of clothes, a Braun radio (German equivalent to the ubiquitous Zenith Trans Oceanic Radio popular with the PVO/NGO community); and evacuation equipment that included a back pack with marker panels, flares and a PRC 10 radio for emergency communication. With this equipment, but absolutely no evacuation plan reviewed or discussed with CARE staff, (not like today where PVOs have professional security personnel and consultants, and emergency plans coordinated with supporting Embassy/US Military backup ) there was an anxious sense of false security that we wouldn t be abandoned.

The accompanying small CARE local staff and our Cambodian government counter part, the Community Development Organization, included many dedicated hard working young

Our program in the provinces assisted a constant flow of refugees who had fled their villages which were attacked and destroyed by the Khmer Rouge.

prahoc (fish paste) cooking oil, etc; promoted and supported self help projects, and arranged monthly food distributions of rice, fish paste and other staples when

It was satisfying to work with refugees who, even though they had lost everything, started straightaway with our assistance to develop large community and family sized

2 The accompanying small CARE local staff and our Cambodian government counter part, the Community Development Organization, included many dedicated hard working young men and women who shared the hardships and hazards that we experienced. Our program in the provinces assisted a constant flow of refugees who had fled their villages which were attacked and destroyed by the Khmer Rouge. We provided immediate assistance, constructed temporary shelters, later converted to permanent shelters; provided bucket kits of essential items (cloth, rice, utensils, prahoc (fish paste) cooking oil, etc; promoted and supported self help projects, and arranged monthly food distributions of rice, fish paste and other staples when available. It was satisfying to work with refugees who, even though they had lost everything, started straightaway with our assistance to develop large community and family sized garden plots, engaged in numerous self-help projects such as basket weaving, making fish paste, rice noodles, chopping fire wood, all for their own families, and for sale in the provincial market. Cambodia s Refugee Program in Kampong Chhnang ( ) CARE Refugee Camp-Kampong Chhnang CARE Refugee Camp-Kampong Chhnang Rice Noodle Making Project-CARE Refugee Camp in Kampong Chhnang-1975 Kids from a CARE Refugee Camp - Kampong Chhnang 1974 Page 2

It was always a joy to visit the camps and heart warming when the children and parents ran up to thank us for what we were doing for them.

3 The attached photos document some of the the camps we built with refugee self-help labor. We upgraded the shelters with palm fronds (much cooler than the temporary plastic sheeting), dug and upgraded wells and latrines, located pits outside of the camp for animal manure, etc. It was always a joy to visit the camps and heart warming when the children and parents ran up to thank us for what we were doing for them. Our efforts and assistance were so appreciated by the refugees that, when a direct threat was made on my life by the Khmer Rouge to a group of monks, they vouched for me and insisted that I was a good guy who was helping the refugees. Fortunately for me I was always reverent to the monks, even though some helped the Khmer Rouge, which wasn t a choice for them. Towards the end, the situation became desperate in Phnom Penh which was swollen with over two million refugees. Most food supplies from the countryside were cut off and the capital slowly starved despite daily US airlifts, and a few planes transporting rice, fish and beef from the provinces. It was one of the saddest days of my life when we precipitously left and evacuated to Bangkok, leaving our friends and colleagues behind to an unknown fate. We offered to take our employees with us, but most decided to stay behind and work with the new government in building a new Cambodia. We held over in Bangkok, fully expecting to return to participate in a reconstruction program. What happened after our evacuation was totally unforeseen-----the gruesome class extermination that was later documented in the Killing Fields, which included the slaughter of our friends and colleagues left behind. There are many stories to tell, some down right humorous, but most tragic and sad. These memories reflect only a few of the many stories and experiences of the dedicated men and women of CARE and other PVOs who put their safety and comfort at risk everyday to help the needy throughout the developing world. I was proud to be a part of CARE S program in Cambodia. Cambodia s Refugee Program in Kampong Chhnang ( ) Surveying Refugees on Tonle Sap CARE Rice Distribution-Kampong Chhnang Page 3

4 Surveying Refugees on the Tonle Sap Boat People on the Tonle Sap Refugees fleeing their village-kampong Chhnang Refugees fleeing their village-kampong Chhnang Making firewood for sale in the local market Multi-Tasking while making fish sauce Page 4

CARE Refugee Camp Community Garden -Kampong Chhnang-1975

1975 Local Pharmacist-Kampong Chhnang World Vision

-1975 World Vision Refugee Camp destroyed by Khmer Rouge

5 CARE Refugee Camp Community Garden -Kampong Chhnang-1975 CARE Refugee Camp and Community Gardens - Kampong Chhnang 1975 Local Pharmacist-Kampong Chhnang World Vision Refugee Camp near Tonle Sap Destroyed by the Khmer Rouge World Vision Refugee Camp destroyed by Khmer Rouge Jim Grossmann jgrossmann@aol.com CARE Cambodia : Page 5

CAMBODIA: FLOODS. The context. appeal no. 22/2000 situation report no. 1; Revised budget period covered: September 2000

CAMBODIA: FLOODS. The context. appeal no. 22/2000 situation report no. 1; Revised budget period covered: September 2000 CAMBODIA: FLOODS 20 September 2000 appeal no. 22/2000 situation report no. ; Revised budget period covered: 3-9 September 2000 With increasing numbers of people affected by the floods in Cambodia, the