Controversial Rice Aid Hailed a Success
The Asian Development Bank and government on Friday deemed highly successful emergency food assistance that was widely criticized by vi
The Asian Development Bank and government announced success on Friday for emergency food assistance that was widely criticized by villagersas unfair. The ADB and government undertook a $40-million emergencyfood distribution between Oct. 29 and Nov. 5, handing out nearly 120,000 tonsto 68,000 poor families in 200 communes around the Tonle Sap lake and in Phnom Penh. “The assistance is making a very real difference in thelives of Cambodia’smost vulnerable, in particular its children,” Arjun Goswami, ADB countrydirector, said in a statement. The aid was in response to rising food and fuel prices thathave squeezed Cambodia’spoorest, but a number of villagers complained that the distribution was plaguedby corruption and favoritism by local leaders. “Unfortunately, the project’s funding simply could not coverall of those families in need of food assistance,” Goswami said. “It isunderstandable that some of those who could not be reached with assistance feellet down.” A statement from the Minister of Economy and Finance calledthe emergency distribution “highly positive, except in one commune in KampongChhnang province, where the distribution was suspended because of villagers’protests.” The ADB and government said they would conduct furtherinvestigations into distribution irregularities starting Nov. 17. “The protests that were mentioned in the media, it’s notsure they are true, but we have a mechanism to check,” said Vong Sandab, deputysecretary-general of the Ministry of Finance, who was in charge of thedistribution. The ADB has so far received 51 phone complaints ofdistribution irregularities, said Long Piseth, program officer at the ADB.