In Cambodia, extended Phnom Penh coronavirus lockdown leaves garment workers, market vendors hungry
- Cambodia has closed markets in its capital and extended a two-week lockdown, designating some areas red zones and prohibiting people from going out
- This has created a food emergency for many textile and other workers, with a labour analyst calling the government’s response ‘out of control’
Prime Minister Hun Sen announced the restrictions on April 14, which allowed only people in essential jobs such as delivery, restaurants and food and medical supply factories to work, with families permitted to visit markets three times a week. Days later, the government declared four communes and three villages “red zones”, banning residents from leaving their homes except for medical reasons.
On Saturday, Phnom Penh City ordered all public markets closed for two weeks, further straining residents’ access to food.
Garment worker Un Sopheap, 35, has been in quarantine since April 9, after neighbours in her block of small rental rooms tested positive for Covid-19. She said she received part of her salary and a small stipend – about US$135 – while quarantining but now cannot go out to buy fresh food after the block was designated a red zone.
This meant she went four days in a row eating only rice with soy sauce, sometimes with egg.
“When I only eat that type of food …. I don’t have enough energy and I can’t leave my room to get fresh air from outside, plus it’s a very small room,” she told This Week in Asia. “It makes me frustrated.”
Police officers armed with firearms and wooden batons constantly patrol the block, Sopheap said, adding: “We’re scared of them.”
