Cambodia
After decades of devastating war, genocide and civil conflict, Cambodia has recently enjoyed some years of relative peace and is steadily rebuilding its shattered infrastructure, society and economy. A major step forward in the political development of Cambodia was the formation of a new government, created through the Cambodian Peoples Party coalition with the royalist FUNCINPEC party in June 2004.
Although there have been improvements in education, these recent political developments have had little impact on the country's many social needs. Cambodia still remains one of the poorest countries in Asia, with more than a third of its people living below the poverty line of a $1 a day. 70% of workers in Cambodia are subsistence farmers and tourism is of growing economic importance.
However there is a real need for a boost in the economic infrastructure with the creation of more formal jobs. This is a challenge that will become more daunting in the future since half of the population is below 20 years of age.
Some of the reasons why Plan works in Cambodia
- One in every seven children dies before reaching the age of five
- Nearly half of all Cambodian children suffer from stunted growth due to malnutrition
- Over a third of children do not attend primary school
- Nearly 80% of children do not go to secondary school
- 70% of the population do not have access to an adequate water source
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