The rate of poverty for Khmer ethnic households in the Mekong Delta is about 25 percent, according to a survey by the Can Tho City Southwest Steering Committee.
The survey was conducted at a meeting to welcome the Chol Chnam Thmay Festival. It is one of the most important Khmer festivals of the year.
Deputy Prime Minister cum head of the Southwest Steering Committee Vu Van Ninh extended his best wishes to the ethnic Khmer community to develop solidarity spirit to overcome difficulties in lives
The southwest has around 1.2 million Khmer people, said Nguyen Phong Quang, deputy head of Southwest Steering Committee. The government has helped 534,000 Khmer people escape poverty. They also provided VND 80 billion (US $3.8 million) for infrastructure providing clean water to households in the region
The local government created jobs in order to curb the rate of unemployment in the region. The rate of households in poverty has reduced 3 percent per year. Education levels have risen while cultural and traditional identity has been preserved.
