The International Committee of the Red Cross expects prisons to run out of key supplies in July. The most essential items needed in the prisons are sanitisers, N95 masks and personal protective equipment. ICRC
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is asking charities and development partners for $160,000 to purchase hygiene kits for Cambodian prisons.
In January, the ICRC donated $230,000 worth of hygiene kits and supplies to prisons, but they will only last for about two-and-a-half more months.
The donations included 221 barrels of calcium hydrocarbons, waterproof coats, boots, gloves, medical glasses, and masks.
On Wednesday, the ICRC donated 7,300 surgical gowns to the General Department of Prisons.
“We call on international organisations and charities to join our efforts. The most important thing is to buy $166,000 worth of hygiene kits,” ICRC’s mission head in Cambodia Roman Paramonov said.
General Department of Prisons spokesman Nuth Savana said the hygiene kits were a precautionary measure for prisons for the next three months.
“We are better protected than treated. While the government provided sanitiser according to plan, we need external involvement to provide alcohol, N95 masks, chlorine, and personal protective equipment. So there needs to be participation from development partners,” Savana said.
He said the government can also provide detergents, thermometers, and sanitising gels.
Currently, Cambodia has 28 prisons with 38,000 detainees and 4,000 prison staff. There have been no reported Covid-19 infections in the prisons thus far.
