Cambodia

Historically, Cambodia has been a poor and largely agricultural country, which suffered from decades of conflict. However, its economy has grown by 7 to 8 percent annually since 2000 and it attained the status of a lower middle-income country in 2015. Nonetheless, it faces many development challenges and over a third of its population is poor or near-poor.

Abt Associates manages USAID Cambodia’s flagship agriculture program, Harvest II, which is aimed at accelerating growth of the horticulture sector and increasing incomes for many vulnerable producers seeking a reliable pathway out of poverty. Under the regional Clean Power Asia program, Abt is providing guidance on investment in renewable energy, a critical component of continued economic growth. Working in Cambodia’s health sector, Abt helps the country develop and implement a plan to reduce the incidence of malaria. Rapid cycle evaluations help assess efforts to discourage Cambodian families from sending their children to for-profit orphanages.