In order to receive government aid for the poor, "homeless" people in the cities have been told by the authorities that they must return "home" to their village to get an ID card. However, the poorest of the poor have no money for travel, and many have no more ties to family in their "home village".

June 29, 2020
Scrap scavengers, homeless should return home to get poor ID cards

Homeless people and beggars in Phnom Penh who want to apply for poor identity cards and be eligible for cash relief amid the coronavirus pandemic should return to their home villages, according to an official.

Theng Panhathun, Planning Ministry’s director general, said in a press conference last week homeless people, including scrap scavengers living in Phnom Penh, could apply for poor equity cards if they returned to their home villages in the provinces to have their names registered with local authorities.

Mr Panhathun said poor ID cards were issued based on family books from a persons place of origin and verified by local authorities that they were impoverished.

“If someone such as a beggar or a scrap scavenger with poor ID cards lives in Phnom Penh, we will provide them [cash relief],” he said, adding if they had a family book in Kampot province, they had to be there in person and verified by local authorities.

He added some beggars and scrap scavengers hid their personal information by not revealing it to local authorities.

He said some people refused to reveal they were beggars or scrap scavengers.

“The cash is earmarked for those who live at permanent addresses, so they could apply for cards at their villages,” he said.

The government announced it plans to disburse about $25 million a month to more than 560,000 poor and vulnerable families affected by coronavirus crisis.

The number of poor people stands at around 600,000 families or 2.3 million people, according to the Planning Ministry.

The ministry said it will continue to survey the poor in the second phase of subsidies at the end of June and the data collection work will go on.

Chan Sam, a beggar hanging around Kandal market in the Capital’s Daun Penh district, said that she had no family members in her home village in Prey Veng province.

“I also want to get help from the government because I am very poor. Now I have no money to travel to my village to have a poor card issued,” she said.

Chhour Sopannha, director of Social Affairs Ministry’s Social Welfare Department, said the ministry had a training centre for beggars and homeless people to learn skills but they refused to participate.

“The ministry tried to help them by getting them to stay and receive vocational training at the centre but they said they have no freedom there,” he said.
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June 30, 2020
Discrimination claimed in issuance of IDPoor cards

Some Phnom Penh residents are claiming that they are living in extreme poverty but are unable to obtain IDPoor cards for food and medical aid due to discrimination by local authorities.

Sat Pha, who claims to represent poor women in the Boeng Kak community in Russei Keo district, said yesterday she had heard the government had distributed the cards to poor people, but she had never received any information from local authorities for her group members to present themselves for registration.

“They [local authorities] know which families are poor so they should come to us to provide a card or donation, but I don’t see any information about this,” she said.

Soeun Chan Mony, Russei Keo commune councillor, said yesterday that a few days ago the authorities had issued cards to 47 poor families but he did not know if the village chief had added the names of the Boeng Kak community women to the list of poor families.

“Because we have not interviewed them yet, I will ask the authorities to search for their names in the list of poor families. If their family is really poor, the authorities will give them a card,” he said.

Ny Son Dus, a representative of the Village Community 23 who live near the railroad tracks in Phnom Penh’s Tuol Kork district, said yesterday she had asked village and commune authorities to issue the IDPoor card, but they refused to do so as her family could earn more than $1.25 a day and her husband is a civil servant.

“During my interview when I applied for a card, the village chief said our income exceeds 5,000 riels [$1.25] per day,” she said. “I have health problems and cannot afford to spend for treatment. I want a poor card [equity book] so that I can get free treatment every time I go to hospital.”
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