Reaching out to migrant households during COVID-19 outbreak: the increasing need of social workers in Cambodia

ABSTRACT Cambodia, a lower-middle-income country in Southeast Asia, reported 275 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Despite lower reported cases, COVID-19 impacts Cambodian socio-economic systems in profound ways. With more than 1.1 million Cambodians having migrated abroad and low-income families in rural Cambodia relying heavily on remittances, the sudden loss of jobs caused by the pandemic raised an important question on how migrant households are prioritised among the rising society-wide needs. Given the profound lack of social workers in Cambodia, while highlighting their essential roles at the frontline in response to the ongoing and future pandemic response, professional and the community-based social work must be expanded and promoted through multisectoral collaboration between governmental bodies and NGOs to ensure the sustainable development of quality social work in Cambodia.