The portion of the Cambodian population that is undernourished has been reduced by half since 1990, meeting a U.N. Millennium Development Goal (MDG) ahead of the deadline at the end of the year, according to a report released Thursday.
Fourteen percent of Cambodians were found to be undernourished to the end of 2014 compared to 32 percent of the population 25 years ago, according to a press release from the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The FAO, however, pointed out that some 2 million Cambodians remain underfed. “Composed of the poorest and most vulnerable in society, the remaining chronically hungry people are not benefitting from economic growth in the region and in Cambodia, and are effectively being left behind,” the press release states.
The FAO added that, despite a 7 percent decrease in stunting among children aged less than 5 in the past four years, “a significant proportion of future generations is still at risk of impaired physical and cognitive development due to malnutrition.”
According to the “Regional Overview of Food Insecurity Asia and the Pacific” report, people in the region commonly suffer from micronutrient deficiencies, such as iron, vitamin A and iodine.
Cambodia registers the highest incidence of anemia in Southeast Asia for pregnant women and for children under 5 years old, 51 percent and 55 percent respectively, the report states.
