PHNOM PENH: Minister of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation Vong Sauth has stated that the Royal Government has distributed cash assistance to over 740,000 poor and vulnerable families of which more than 240,000 are pregnant women and children. The social assistance program implemented since June 2019, aimed at alleviating the hardships of life in the context of the Covid-19 epidemic, as well as considering the well-being of the population, especially children and the poor. Children covered under the programme are those under two years old.

In addition, Minister Vong Sauth has said that the post-closure cash social assistance program for people and families of people who have difficulty living and people who have been infected and died of Covid-19 disease, with a total budget of nearly $8 million.

He has stressed that despite the attention of the Royal Government, which has established various mechanisms to manage and provide services to general children and child victims, there are still some children living in difficult situations that requires additional support and intervention as needed.

Minister Vong Sauth highlights that in order to better solve the problem of protecting children from all forms of abuse in accordance with national and international standards, it requires the participation of all ministries, institutions, national and international organizations and all relevant partners to solve together.