Cambodia – Still Recovering
Cambodia faces a number of social, economic and political development challenges. Many of these problems are global, but in light of 30 years of civil struggles – including a war and a genocide, many of the problems Cambodia faces are uniquely its own.
Over four years, Pol Pot’s brutal Khmer Rouge regime decimated a generation of Cambodians (approximately 1.7 million), and left the country in social, economic, agricultural and political turmoil. Ruined infrastructure, broken communities and a severely depleted human and industrial resource base left Cambodia back at square one. Since then, the country has been working towards growth and development, but progress is slow. Many Cambodians still live in poverty, and Cambodia still has some of the poorest social indicators in all of Asia.
Issues facing Cambodia:
– Depleted human resource base: The Khmer regime’s policies of execution and torture ultimately constituted genocide. The death of approximately 1.7 million Cambodians left the country stripped of almost an entire generation. What’s more, the Khmer regime targeted doctors, teachers, managers and other skilled professionals, leaving a depleted human resource base from which to help rebuild the country. With a lack of education infrastructure, the legacy of the ‘wipe-out’ still endures.
– Gap between rich and poor: Cambodia’s rural population continue to be the most impoverished, and as more and more make the exodus to the city (particularly the capital Phnom Penh), the city’s slum and squatter communities continue to grow. This swells the urban poverty levels and increases the gap between Cambodia’s rich and poor.
– Child poverty and sexual exploitation: Many Cambodian children live on the streets, having lost their parents to disease (often AIDS-related illness). Additionally, many children (and women) in Cambodia are trafficked for sexual exploitation, with the country being a popular ‘transit’ destination for sex workers. The trafficking of women and children hinders the country’s development.
– Deforestation: The pillaging of many of Cambodia’s forests and land during the Khmer regime put Cambodia’s natural environment on a long road to recovery, and left the country more vulnerable to floods. Unexploded landmines still scatter the country side and present a real danger for Cambodians – there are still landmine victims today.
– Education: Education is the key to Cambodia’s recovery. With the Khmer regime targeting the country’s skilled professionals – teachers, doctors, lawyers, etc – a new generation of Cambodian children will help lift the country from poverty. Making education a priority, however, is a challenge facing both the Cambodian people and the government.
There are a number of initiatives and campaigns in progress to help relieve Cambodia and Cambodians from poverty, so get involved! Some such initiatives include child sponsorship programs and grassroots initiatives to help rural Cambodians secure food and land rights. While Cambodia is experiencing economic growth and has made significant developmental progress in recent years, it still faces significant challenges. Increased and continual international attention and help will ensure that Cambodia’s future is as bright as possible.
What can you do to help?
This article is brought to you by Action Aid Australia. For more information on child sponsorhips, visit their website www.actionaid.org.au.
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