Cambodia
The Kingdom of Cambodia in Southeast Asia saw the effects of brutal conflict and civil unrest which afflicted the country from 1975 to 1991. This caused the deaths of up to three million people and paused economic development. When it was over, the country had to start from scratch.
Despite impressive economic growth during the last decade, rural development lags behind. Rural communities – which make up 79 percent of the population – account for most of the country’s poor. A significant further proportion of Cambodians lives on the brink of poverty; it has been estimated that losing just US$ 0.3 a day per person in income would double poverty rate.
This fragility means that hazards such as storms, floods, droughts – as well asserious illness and related health expenditure out of pocket – could ruin livelihoods. Yet parts of Cambodia – particularly around Tonlé Sap, the lower Mekong basin and the Mekong delta – are prone to flooding during the Monsoon season, while the rural communities on the plains are vulnerable to localized drought. This erodes resilience and leads to food insecurity and economic inequality.
What the World Food Programme is doing in Cambodia
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School meals
Primary school completion and secondary school enrolment rates in the country are low. To support universal access to eduction, WFP has been providing nutritious school meals to Cambodian pre- and primary school children in rural and food- insecure communities since 2008 We also run programmes offering take-home cash or rice in exchange for at least 80 percent school attendance. To help diversify diets and educate future generations about nutrition, we are establishing school gardens and shifting to Home Grown School Feeding, which allows local smallholder farmers to sell their produce to nearby schools.
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Nutrition
WFP is working with partners to ensure that – starting from the first 1,000 days from conception to a child’s second birthday – Cambodian children receive all the nutrients they need to reach their full potential and build the full potential of future generations in Cambodia. Drawing on its research, operational and technical nutrition expertise, WFP aims to inform the development, transformation, and implementation of nutrition-related initiatives, governance structures, and processes, including the Cambodia SUN network.
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Productive assets and livelihood support
WFP helps the Government increase agricultural productivity and strengthen vulnerable communities’ resilience to climate change, floods and droughts. This includes running Food for Assets infrastructure projects in drought- and flood-affected areas, where participants help construct community assets.
Due to the impact of recurrent natural disasters, WFP supports the Government to enhance its coordination capacity in disaster management, emergency preparedness and response at the national and sub-national levels.
In focus
Cambodge - Communiqués de presse
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