Starvation led to the deaths of over one million people. Unfortunately, there they struggled to find clothing, shelter, medical care, and food. Although the soil there is not fertile, the plains flood every rainy season. Sadly, bombing, civil war, and war with the Vietnamese decimated a once thriving agricultural economy. Today, most of the Khmer still live in small villages and grow rice in irrigated paddies.
Rubber is also important to their economy.
The mines have caused more wounds to the Central Khmer than any other weapon. In 1994, the United States provided military aid to help locate the mines and build new roads. While the Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia, more men died than women, creating a skewed sex ratio. Today, women are required to perform duties that were once done by men. They dress in colorful skirts, adding life to their unhappy environment.