The Phnom Penh Municipal Administration has rejected criticism that it had distributed Covid-19 relief with discrimination, saying the task was carried out in a transparent and equitable manner as per government's instructions.

“We denied such an accusation by the ill-intended few who aim to cause social chaos and obstruct the distribution of relief to people in need of food,” it said in an announcement on April 30.

The municipality said the distribution was carried out in a timely manner with a focus on poor families, especially those residing in rented rooms, regardless of their status or political affiliation.

Meanwhile, it called for an understanding from donors who wished to distribute their donations to the needy in person but were barred from doing so to avoid Covid-19 transmission.

As of April 30, the municipality had distributed food relief to 184,406 families in the capital’s 14 districts.