Lifeline for vulnerable Cambodians as poverty doubles during COVID-19 pandemic

In Cambodia, the shrinking economy, hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, has affected all population groups, but particularly the most vulnerable. A first-of-its-kind government scheme, managed with digital tools supplied by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), is ensuring that the poorest receive a level of social protection.

The government-issued IDPoor card has been providing Yom Malai, a 42-year-old single mother of four children living in the Battambang province of Cambodia, with a lifeline since May 2020. With the card, she is entitled to 176,000 riels (around $43.45) per month, to support herself and her family, using most of it to buy dry food ingredients and rice, products with a longer shelf life, that can be rationed throughout the month. 

“We collect the money from a money transfer service”, she says. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been a great help for my family. In addition, if we ever need to go to the hospital, we get medical treatment, care and medicine free of charge”. 

No cash, cards only

As a result of the pandemic, poverty is forecast to almost double in Cambodia: the UN estimating that it could reach around 17.6 per cent of the population. With these stark predictions in mind, the government, alongside partners which include UNDP and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), decided to strengthen the level of social protection in the country. The UN’s research indicated that an emergency social protection program would significantly improve both economic growth and the well-being of the most vulnerable.

read more https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/02/1085122