Cambodia
The Kingdom of Cambodia is located in South-East Asia. It has boundaries with Thailand in the north-west and west, Laos in the north, Vietnam to the east and south-east and the Gulf of Thailand to the south. Around 17 million people live in Cambodia.
The country is still recovering from a succession of conflicts, which had a devastating effect on the life of Cambodians. It is one of the most land mined countries in the world – since 1970, around 60,000 people have died due to explosions, and many more have been injured; the majority of these are children playing in the fields or herding animals.
SOS Children’s Villages has been supporting children and young people without parental care, or at risk of losing it, in Cambodia since 2000.
Villages in Cambodia
Children are at risk
Demographically speaking, Cambodia is a very young country. One third of its citizens are under 15 years of age. Tens of thousands of children live in orphanages and care institutions. Poverty, the years of conflict, migration and the rising number of people living with HIV/AIDS are the main reasons why children can no longer live with their families. Around 300,000 children are involved in child labour. Children work in agriculture, the fishing industry, in quarries, as domestic servants or on the streets
18%
Of Cambodians live below the poverty line
Widespread poverty
Despite recent economic growth, about 18% of Cambodians continue to live below the nationally poverty line.
Around 40% of the population works in agriculture. The main agricultural products include rice, rubber, and tapioca. Fishing is also important but yields are projected to decline 40-60% in the near future. Neither fishing and agriculture are not stable sources of income.
Many people also live off tourism, but the COVID-19 pandemic meant that many people were not able to travel. This is now changing slowly.
75,000
Cambodians live with HIV/AIDS
Health
Recent improvements in health have reduced infant and under-five mortality rates in Cambodia. Likewise, there has been an increase in average life expectancy, though it remains relatively low at 67.5 years for men and 71.9 years for women.
However, the high number of people living with HIV/AIDS poses a new challenge for Cambodia’s fragile health system. Around 75,000 people are known to be living with HIV/AIDS. Children living in household affected by HIV/AIDS need extra support.
7 in 10
Pre-primary schools do not have access to sanitation
Access to sanitation
While the vast majority of people living in urban areas have access to clean drinking water, this is mostly lacking in rural areas. Only 28% of the population of Cambodia are using clean drinking water services.
Seven in ten pre-primary schools do not have access to facilities that include safe water, toilets and ways of preventing the spread of disease.
Children continue to die from diseases that could be preventable through the provision of clean water and the proper management of sewage.
Together we can make a difference for children in Cambodia
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830
Families
Can stay together
2,800
Adults and children
Are supported in the community
1,890
Children
Learn at our kindergartens and schools
530
Children
Grow up in our care
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160
Young people
Are supported on their way to independence
