Breakfast every day – that’s how modest Noun Seang’s wishes are. The 89-year-old Cambodian lives with her daughter and grandchildren in the south-west of the country. Before the COVID-19 outbreak, her son-in-law earned a small income as a day labourer. But he, like many other people, has not been able to find work since early 2020. When the pandemic started, tourism collapsed, factories closed, and the construction industry ground to a halt.
The poorest of the country’s population of roughly 16 million were hardest hit by the crisis. About 15 per cent were already living in poverty before the pandemic. Since July 2020, they have been receiving emergency financial aid from the state. It is distributed through a database that GIZ set up in conjunction with the Cambodian Government. GIZ has been working on the IDPoor (Identification of Poor Households) platform on behalf of BMZ and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for over 10 years. It involves a participatory process that uses simple criteria to enable the poorest people in each administrative commune to be registered digitally. Even before the pandemic, many people had already received a special entitlement card giving them access to things such as free health care, drinking water and school meals for their children.
Emergency coronavirus assistance for 2.7 million people
Cambodia’s Ministry of Social Affairs has been using IDPoor’s database during the pandemic: for example, some 682,000 poor households comprising 2.7 million people across the country received financial support in December 2020 – and the emergency aid is continuing. This rapid initiative was only possible because IDPoor had already created solid foundations. Within a very short space of time, the registration process was adapted and people in need are now able to contact the administrations directly, meaning that no one is overlooked. Over 225,000 people made use of this option in 2020.
Noun Seang’s daughter also registered the family to receive emergency aid. The Commune Council chief had told her about this. ‘I can’t read, so I hadn’t had any information from sources such as newspapers,’ she says. ‘We were desperate.’ Since then she has been receiving the equivalent of roughly 40 euros a month. ‘We can now buy food,’ says Noun Seang and is delighted to report that she has ‘breakfast every day.’
GIZ has played a pivotal role in establishing and maintaining IDPoor. I have been very impressed with the skill of GIZ personnel and their ability to work in a complex cross-cultural environment. They have demonstrated a strong understanding of the local political economy and have communicated superbly with the Australian Embassy and other stakeholders.
(© GIZ / Conor Wall)
The poorest of Cambodia’s population of roughly 16 million were hardest hit by the crisis. The IDPoor platform enables them to access emergency financial aid from the state.
(© GIZ / Conor Wall)The poorest of Cambodia’s population of roughly 16 million were hardest hit by the crisis. The IDPoor platform enables them to access emergency financial aid from the state.
(© GIZ / Conor Wall)The poorest of Cambodia’s population of roughly 16 million were hardest hit by the crisis. The IDPoor platform enables them to access emergency financial aid from the state.
(© GIZ / Conor Wall)The poorest of Cambodia’s population of roughly 16 million were hardest hit by the crisis. The IDPoor platform enables them to access emergency financial aid from the state.
(© GIZ / Conor Wall)
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the 2030 Agenda provide the framework for our activities around the world. Click on a goal to find out which projects in this report are helping to achieve it.
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