Neak Leung (Prey Veng, Cambodia). 16/11/2002: Storm near the Neak Leung pier, on the road from Cambodia to Vietnam  
©John Vink/Magnum

Will Cambodia collapse under the weight of thousands of starving Vietnamese exiles, fleeing fields devastated by roaring waves? Much dreaded by Cambodians, the invasion of their territory by the children of Uncle Ho may result not from aggressive territorial ambitions, but from the dramatic consequences of a global warming that would force farmers into a rural exodus as their lands were gradually lost to the sea. If the scenario of a sudden arrival in mass of Vietnamese migrants on the Khmer soil seems unlikely today, several recent reports point out the major environmental risks which people in the Mekong Delta may be faced with in the forthcoming decades. A new challenge for the two nations after a long common history of much turmoil.

Krek (Cambodia). 06/02/2002: A member of the Wildlife Protection Mobile Unit trying to catch a monkey straddling a pig. Already faced with avian influenza, will Cambodia manage to face the A(H1N1) virus, commonly called the “swine flu”?

©John Vink/ Magnum

While its Vietnamese and Thai neighbours have recently identified individuals infected by the A(H1N1) virus on their territory, Cambodia still seems unaffected – as it had been during the SARS epidemic – by what is now presented as the new global health threat. Without giving in to panic, the Cambodian authorities make no secret of their high concern and multiply calls for vigilance, reactivate systems already implemented for the prevention of H5N1 and go for transparent cooperation with international organisations. Struggling with the economic crisis, the Khmer Kingdom would have gladly done without a health crisis caused by a new virus, while concerns still exist over the evolution of the avian influenza. 

Pailin (Cambodia). 06/03/2002: Woman selling Arteminisin, a drug used in the treatment of malaria, in a non-monitored drug store.
©John Vink/ Magnum

Obsolete statistics and a wall of silence noticed by most of the national protagonists working in that particular field... In Cambodia, the fight against fake medicines is still a taboo and a very sensitive topic. However, there is no denying that the country keeps suffering as a result of counterfeit or very poor quality pharmaceuticals, of which the population remains the first victim. In order to counter that silent epidemic, which mainly concerns antibiotics and anti-malaria drugs, a team in charge of combating fake medicines has been set up within the Ministry of Health and currently benefits from the support of important private external backers. Unfortunately, it looks like a cure has yet to be found in Cambodia to put the pharmaceutical network back on its feet.