CAMBODIA: CAFOD urges support for poorest communities as election looms

Credit: CAFOD

Source: CAFOD

As Cambodia prepares for its general election on 29 July, UK Catholic aid agency CAFOD says the development needs of vulnerable communities must not be forgotten.

CAFOD's Janet Symes, Head of Region for Asia, has recently returned from Cambodia and says that despite the country's dramatic economic progress, this growth is not reaching everyone and there is still a need to support Cambodians living in poverty. She says:

"Despite the progress we have seen in recent years, reducing poverty needs to remain top of the agenda. Development needs remain high especially in rural areas where the majority of Cambodians are still dependent on agriculture and the rural economy for jobs and income. While the rate of poverty continues to decline throughout the country, according to the World Bank, almost two million of the country's 15.5 million people are still living in poverty and 8.1 million are classed as near-poor, 90 per cent of whom live in the countryside. Cambodia is ranked among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, and its effects are increasingly felt by the nation's poorest families in rural communities. Our development support through local organisations works to empower farmers - including women - by supporting them as they learn new skills and increase their household incomes so they can better secure a thriving future for their families."

CAFOD has been working in Cambodia since 1980 and supports poor and vulnerable communities.

https://cafod.org.uk/