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Cambodia

40 years after it was founded in the Cambodian refugee camps in Thailand, HI continues to support Cambodians experiencing extreme hardship, including hundreds of survivors of mines and explosive remnants of war.

A young girl sits on a bench as she is fitted for a prosthetic leg by a healthcare worker wearing a white coat with an HI logo.

Say Noy lost her leg after a road accident and received an artificial limb from HI. | ©Lucas Veuve / HI

Our actions

Humanity & Inclusion’s work in Cambodia reduces preventable disabilities, improves access to high-quality health and rehabilitation services for people with disabilities, and promotes their social and economic independence. The organization also works to reduce armed violence.

HI has been working in Cambodia since 1982, at first under the umbrella of the American Friend Service Committee. In 1987, HI started to operate under its own name. Today, HI is recognized in the country as a major disability actor.

Today, the organization continues to support the provincial rehabilitation center in Kampong Cham to ensure it provides quality rehabilitation services, including remote rehabilitation services, and to ensure the sustainability of the sector. There are more and more victims of road traffic injuries as well as individuals recovering from strokes or living with congenital disabilities who are coming to the rehabilitation center. To this end, HI is training staff and improving the center’s management system.

HI focuses on access to rehabilitation, health care for all, and early childhood development. The organization also promotes the economic inclusion of people with disabilities to reduce poverty and social exclusion in a sustainable way. The organization promotes the participation of every citizen in local government.

With funding from the U.S. government, HI supports mine clearance specialists from Cambodia Self-Help Demining (CSHD), a local mine action organization that participates in clearance efforts. Cambodia aims to be landmine-free by 2025.

Latest stories

4 things you should know about bamboo
© Philippe Merchez / HI
Emergency Explosive weapons Health Rehabilitation Rights

4 things you should know about bamboo

Bamboo grows naturally in about 20 of the countries in which Humanity & Inclusion works. A historic symbol of our operations, bamboo is regularly used by our teams, particularly in Asia.

Dedicating his life to mine clearance: the journey of Aki Ra, a former child soldier
© Till Mayer / HI
Explosive weapons

Dedicating his life to mine clearance: the journey of Aki Ra, a former child soldier

13 years after the trial of “Comrade Duch,” the Khmer Rouge torturer convicted of crimes against humanity, a former child soldier turned deminer tells his story.

“My biggest fear was that Nita would never walk!”
© C. Jury / HI
Health Prevention Rehabilitation

“My biggest fear was that Nita would never walk!”

Un Sonita, known as Nita, was born with clubfoot. When she was just a baby, she started treatment at Humanity & Inclusion’s Kampong Cham rehabilitation center in Cambodia. Nita has now made a complete recovery!

Background

Map of Humanity & Inclusion's interventions in Cambodia

Cambodia endured the radical communist Khmer Rouge's regime under the leadership of Pol Pot between 1975 and 1978 when 2 million people died, and Vietnamese occupation between 1978 and 1992.

The conflict ended in 1991 with the signing of the Paris Comprehensive Peace settlement. The country has since experienced relative stability, economic growth and some significant progress, the most striking being the decline in maternal and infant mortality rates. However, Cambodia remains among the poorest countries in Southeast Asia.

There is still much poverty and inequality. There is continued corruption and impunity for the richest members of society and numerous problems remain unresolved. The still-fragile economy generates little public revenue, which explains the continued weaknesses in the health and education systems.

Number of HI staff members: 55

Date the program launched: 1987

Where we work
 

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