Cambodian citizens in, Phnom Penh, suffer food shortage and price escalation of goods as a result of the lockdown imposed on the capital and other provinces as Covid spikes where a large number of workers who depend on daily income cannot go out to work and earn money to feed their families despite the government’s request to not to raise the prices of food.
If there is no lockdown, I would have earned income to support my grandchildren. Nowadays meat is very expensive, I have no money to buy it, and we eat only eggs, canned fish because the meat is too expensive. Sometimes my neighbors help me. I had no income since the lockdown, I cannot go anywhere, my brother gave me 2 kilos of rice, yesterday.
I am the main person to earn money for my family, I feed 12 people. Since the closure, I have lost a lot of income. I rent a room, I have to pay for water, electricity, and the most that I afraid of is the bank because I have no income and I have to pay for it.
Before lockdown, I had some work to do to earn money to support my family, when they imposed the lockdown, I could not go anywhere so I have no more income. Since April 13th, I use my saving money to support my family, I don’t know how many days I spent my saving money, if it finishes, my family will fall into a bad situation. Before lockdown, we could have meals as we want out, but now I have to save, even my kids have no pocket money too. I always alert my kids to take some hours to do self-study, I cannot teach them because I am not educated. I used to spend 5$ to 6$ for a meal per day, but now I have to spend around 10$ per day. I hope this situation ends soon, if the government extends it we will be in a nightmare. Lockdown is good if Cambodian people can follow the rules, and stay in the house, so our country will be better soon.
It is really difficult nowadays, we cannot go out, my family loses income, all goods are expensive, the seller doesn’t allow us to negotiate because they need to sell to the other too that waiting to buy stuff. I think it will be extended for more days because I always see the number of people who get infected always increase. I worry about having no food for my kids, one more thing got affected, as now I already lost my current job.
Working from home is not effective, because my location speed of the internet is so slow, one more thing I have no laptop, I use my phone for my working. On the other hand, I have to spend some hour doing a home task like cooking for my mum, and have many other things to do, I think working at the office is better than. Price of goods is increasing even the government suggested do not increase the price and transportation is really difficult. The government and ministry of health did a good job to protect the people by giving some education about Covid-19 prevention in social media, TV, posters, etc. Lockdown is the effective way to stop the speeding of Covids-19 from one place to another place and from one person to another person.
Source: A24 News Agency
