BANTEAY MEANCHEY: On the morning of August 8, Minister of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation, Vong Sauth and his delegation, inspected the progress of the construction of the welfare and rehabilitation center for victims of human trafficking and other vulnerable populations of Poipet.

Minister Vong Sauth thanked Thailand for its financial support in the center’s construction and in the technical equipment needed to encourage the center’s residents to stay for treatment and learn skills for job placement after their stay. He also instructed the project’s supervisors to provide quality service to those seeking help and to adhere to good ethics with common interests in mind.

Poipet City Welfare Director Chhea Manit said that the project to build a welfare and rehabilitation center for victims of human trafficking and other vulnerable people is located in Poipet’s Prachea Thom Keut district in the Banteay Meanchey province. She noted that the governments of Thailand and Cambodia had organized a committee to inspect the progress of construction on a monthly basis.

A grant for the project came from the Thai government, totaling over $2.1 million US. The center spans nearly 10,000 square meters. Having started on August 15, 2022, construction is expected to be complete by August 17, 2023. The center will offer skills training in five professional fields: garment making, salon, cooking, electrical and water, and air conditioning.

Chhea Manit said that on average, 50 Cambodian workers are sent back from Thailand every day. Of those, about ten per month are human trafficking victims.