$150,000 worth of daily necessities for food security and COVID-19 response for vulnerable people in Cambodia

$150,000 worth of daily necessities for food security and COVID-19 response for vulnerable people in Cambodia

KOICA, Korea’s leading development cooperation agency, supported emergency kits for food security and COVID-19 response to vulnerable people in Cambodia who are struggling with the current economic issue.

From August 11-28, KOICA formed a selected local produced food kit led by the Cambodian office for food security and livelihood support for the Cambodian people and distributed 2,000 households including migrants, disadvantaged people at waste disposal sites, and ID poor people in 6 target areas including Phnom Penh, Kampong Speu, Kratie, Odor Meanchey, Battambang, and Siem Reap.

The kits distribution is under a collaboration between local governments and Korean NGOs in the target areas such as (Green Bethel Community, Banteay Prieb Training Center for the Disabled, African Asia Refugee Education Support Association, Children’s Foundation, World Share, World Human Bridge, and WITH).

H.E. Park Heung-Kyeong, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Cambodia said, “We have tried to use the majority of local products produced by social enterprises who work with vulnerable groups so that we could support the local economy and more vulnerable people.”

The kits included a total of 12 kinds of food and health products, including 25 kilograms of rice, 1 kilogram of dried fish, 1 box of canned fish and instant noodle, palm sugar and condiments, facemasks and COVID-19 prevention education books, and these are all local products, except for cooking oils. Five tons of rice was purchased through local farmers’ cooperatives, Palm sugar is from HESED (Inclusive Business Solution) Program (IBS), a public-private partnership program in KOICA, was carried out, allowing profits to be distributed to local poor farmers as well. In addition, facemasks are produced by GOEL, a social enterprise that supports women, and Banteay Prieb Training Center, a vocational training school for the disabled, all of the benefit goes to women and the disabled.

This support is a part of the $1 million COVID-19 response project organized by the KOICA Cambodia Office, which will be followed by positive pressurized walk-through booth for quick and safe COVID-19 testing in Cambodia.

Credited: Khmer Times