Visiting Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Ms. Samantha Power has announced new investments and support for the Cambodian people through a range of new and expanded U.S. activities in food security, the environment, civil society, media, and labour.

‘Cambodia remains an essential partner to the United States as we work to achieve a shared vision for a free and open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific region,’ underlined a USAID’s press release issued on Oct. 23 at the end of the two-day visit of Ms. Power to Cambodia.

As part of the U.S. government’s commitment to strengthening agriculture and food systems, Ms. Samantha Power highlighted a new Food for Progress award of more than US$29 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said the source.

According to the press release, this funding will help Cambodia improve implementation and development of food safety regulations by improving post-harvest handling of soybean meal, increasing adoption of climate
smart technologies, providing training on best food safety practices, and strengthening market linkages. Under the Mekong-U.S. Partnership, Administrator Power also announced new efforts to conserve the rich biodiversity of the lower Mekong River basin, which is home to more than 1,000 species of fish but increasingly threatened by the effects of climate change and infrastructure development. Underscoring the strong U.S. commitment to protecting biodiversity, USAID will extend and expand for the next five years its work with the government and local communities in Cambodia to conserve and sustain the wonders of the Mekong, as well as work with other countries of the lower Basin.

In a meeting with members of Cambodian civil society, it continued, Administrator Power also announced more than US$6 million in new USAID funding for civil society, media, and labour in support of Cambodia’s constitutional commitments to democratic rule, respect for human rights, and support for civil society. Additionally, she anno
unced US$3 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Labour to increase collaboration and partnerships between and among persons with disabilities.

This funding will help address the prevalence of child labour, forced labour, and human trafficking among persons with disabilities and reduce barriers that impede their access to decent work, pointed out the press release, reaffirming that USAID will also continue to support Cambodian returnees from the United States as they reintegrate into Cambodian society and establish stable, constructive, and independent lives.

Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse