Phnom Penh: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the leading U. S. agency that works to end extreme global poverty and enable resilient, democratic societies to realize their potential. In order to realize these goals, President John F. Kennedy created the United States Agency for International Development on 3 November 1961.

The goal then is the same as it is now, invest in people, collaborate for mutual prosperity, support partner countries development journey. Today, USAID is the world's premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results.

The Agency just celebrated their 60th anniversary on Wednesday .highlighting all the assistance programs they made in the Kingdom.

USAID has reached all 25 Cambodian provinces and works with the people to implement programs that benefit all Cambodians. The program they implemented have helped more than 230,000 Cambodian farmers and their families escape hunger and poverty. Through its agricultural and environmental programs, rural communities have generated an additional US$90,000,000 for Cambodia’s economy. In addition, USAID continues to support Cambodia to reach its goal of eliminating HIV and malaria by 2025. Since 2017, not one person has died from malaria in Cambodia. USAID has helped reduce stunting among children under five to 27 percent in 2018 from 35 percent. It has also achieved almost universal access in primary education and improved early grade learning skills of children with and without disabilities.

While COVID-19 has presented challenges, the U.S. government, through USAID, has provided more than US$15 million in direct COVID-19 relief support to Cambodia, including resources to help vaccinate the people of Cambodia quickly and safely. In addition, the U.S. government has provided more than one million doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine to the government of Cambodia through the COVAX facility.