CAMBODIAN LUTHERANS LIVING
boldly DURING COVID-19 BY J.P. CIMA
O
n the face of it, Cambodia has fared well during the COVID-19 pandemic. With just over 120,000 reported cases and 3,000 deaths in a country of 16.7 million people, Cambodia’s infection rates are far below neighbouring countries. Moreover, the Royal Government of Cambodia has conducted a remarkably successful vaccination campaign to protect its citizens; with more than 80 percent of the total population having received two jabs, Cambodia is among the most vaccinated countries in the world. But these numbers betray the devastating impacts that COVID-19 has had on Cambodia. Heavily dependent on tourism and exports, as well as foreign aid and investment, the restricted movement of both goods and
people due to the pandemic has put stress on Cambodia’s fragile economy. Unemployment and underemployment continue to rise, contributing to poverty rates that exceed pre-pandemic levels. Prolonged school closures and poor accessibility to online education have left many students stranded and at high risk of drop out. Even as individual Christian families struggle with these challenges, churches, too, have been directly and indirectly affected by the pandemic and the havoc it has wreaked. At precisely the time when people are most in material and spiritual need, the church has been most hampered in its ability to meet those needs. On-again-offagain and constantly changing restrictions on religious gatherings have made it difficult for Cambodian pastors, THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN | January/February 2022
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