Overview

USAID’s current program reaches all 24 provinces in Cambodia, although select provinces are the focus of different projects. The mission has a staff of 65, two-thirds of whom are Cambodian. USAID’s current health programs promote improved services in areas such as HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, and maternal and child health and nutrition. We also support Cambodia’s efforts to increase food security and to adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change. We promote human rights and support civil society, especially youth, in finding ways to engage proactively in their future. Our education activities focus on improving the quality, relevance and accessibility of basic education. USAID continues to work to reduce trafficking in persons through prevention, protection, prosecution and partnerships with Cambodian organizations and officials.

Background

The current USAID program in Cambodia traces its roots to humanitarian assistance and road and bridge building activities in the 1960s. U.S. assistance to Cambodia accelerated sharply after the signing of the Paris Peace Accords in 1991, which, in turn, led to the re-opening of the USAID mission in 1992. With the establishment of a full-scale mission, USAID shifted to a more strategic, long-term approach to reflect the development needs of Cambodia. While the initial focus was on meeting basic human needs, USAID also developed programs to support the UN-sponsored move to establish a freely elected government. Improving health and education services also emerged as key concerns. From the outset, USAID funding was delivered primarily through contracts and grants to private voluntary organizations or international organizations, a pattern that continues to this day. In order to ensure sustainability, USAID increasingly partnered with Cambodian-run organizations, many of which are leading local NGOs in the country today.

Value

- PASSION FOR MISSION - EXCELLENCE - INTEGRITY - RESPECT - EMPOWERMENT - INCLUSION - COMMITMENT TO LEARNING

Mission

We partner to end extreme poverty and promote resilient, democratic societies while advancing our security and prosperity.

Vision

Our focus on poverty does not end when someone crosses the official threshold for extreme poverty to earn $1.90/day. Poverty alleviation also extends to those with higher incomes who nonetheless remain severely poor. Poverty is multi-dimensional, requiring an approach to address hunger and food insecurity, illiteracy and innumeracy, ill-health, dis-empowerment, marginalization and vulnerability. Our Feed the Future, Global Health, Global Climate Change, and Power Africa initiatives target symptoms of and pathways out of poverty. USAID’s work on education is already reaching millions in extreme poverty. Similarly, our cross-cutting efforts in promoting democracy, rights and good governance, empowering women and girls, advancing prosperity, building resilient societies, and mitigating climate change are all essential to ending poverty.

Project Summary

- Democracy, Human Rights and Governance - Food Security and Environment - Global Heath - Education