South Korea Provides Necessity Supplies to Support Cambodians amid COVID-19
The initiative is a part of a $1 million COVID-19 response program launched by KOICA. Photo: KOICA Cambodia's Facebook page.
- Sao Phal Niseiy
- August 30, 2020 9:04 AM
Distributed to those most affected, the supplies were obtained locally to support the country’s economy
PHNOM PENH--The Republic of Korea has distributed around $150,000 worth of basic supplies to disadvantaged Cambodians whose livelihoods have been affected by the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, according to a statement released on Aug. 28.
The Republic of Korea government through the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has provided necessity goods for 2,000 families of migrant workers and other people in need in Phnom Penh and five provinces, that is, Battambang, Kampong Speu, Kratie, Oddar Meanchey and Siem Reap provinces, the statement issued by KOICA read.
The supplies consist of a dozen of food and health products including rice, dried fish, canned fish, instant noodle, palm sugar and condiments, facemasks for people to protect themselves during the pandemic, and public information material on COVID-19, KOICA said in the statement.
The initiative carried out to support people who are especially struggling, the pandemic having affected their livelihoods, is a part of a $1 million COVID-19 response program launched by KOICA.
According to Park Heung-Kyeong, ambassador of the Republic of Korea, this emergency assistance package aims to directly support local people and local economies. “We have tried to use a 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,” he said in the same statement.
The distribution has been organized in the target areas through collaboration between the local authorities and NGOs—such as the Green Bethel Community, the Banteay Prieb Training Centre for the Disabled, the African Asia Refugee Education Support Association, the Children's Foundation, World Share, World Human Bridge and WITH—with South Korea support, the statement read.
Last May, KOICA had donated medical supplies including 100,000 pieces of surgical masks, 4,500 pieces of N95 masks and 2,000 units of hand sanitizer to the Khmer Soviet Friendship Hospital and the National Pediatric Hospital in Phnom Penh to contribute to Cambodia’s efforts during the pandemic.
Also in May, KOICA had provided around 90 test kits with the capacity of administering 8,640 tests to the National Public Health Laboratory at the Ministry of Health, the statement indicated.
As of Sunday (Aug. 30), Cambodia had registered 273 cases of COVID-19 with only eight patients remaining hospitalized, the other patients having made a full recovery.
