USAID's Work in Cambodia

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Cambodia is transforming in remarkable ways, and U.S. assistance continues to make significant contributions to the country’s development. Cambodia is at peace after decades of conflict, and a majority of Cambodians are optimistic about the future. However, important challenges remain. Parliamentary elections in 2008 were freer than any held in Cambodia. Yet political power remains unevenly spread, and opposition parties are disorganized, divided and subject to manipulation. The judiciary is not independent, which politicizes and complicates the legal process. With U.S. assistance, Cambodia has reduced HIV/AIDS infection by half and treated the majority of affected people. Yet maternal mortality remains high, infectious diseases are serious concerns, and the health and education systems are underfunded. Each year, 250,000 young people enter the workforce, but not all find jobs.

USAID continues to work with its partners to help Cambodia address these issues. In the area of democracy and governance, USAID engages with the government and civil society to improve the legal system, strengthen key political and civil liberties, protect human rights, and involve youth and women in the democratic process. In order to improve the health of Cambodians, USAID is working with the government to develop and implement national health policies, strengthen national health systems, improve clinical skills, expand community outreach and health financing for the poor, provide community education, and improve access to quality services. Because Cambodia’s school drop-out rate is high, USAID is focused on improving education quality and increasing access for marginalized populations. Finally, USAID is improving the business environment and enhancing the competitiveness of small- and medium-sized enterprises, and it has begun work to strengthen agricultural production, develop post-harvest management capacity, increase access to food, and improve natural resource management and resilience to climate change.