Cambodia country strategic plan (2024–2028)

CSP approved at EB November 2023 session

Cambodia has achieved significant success in poverty reduction and human development. However, a substantial share of the population remains vulnerable to poverty, food insecurity, malnutrition and shocks. The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the global food and fuel crisis and recent climate shocks have worsened an already precarious situation for many people, particularly in marginalized groups.

Human capital development, access to healthy diets and an end to malnutrition are ambitions on the national agenda that have yet to be achieved, impairing people’s ability to engage actively as productive members of society. These issues need to be addressed for Cambodia to achieve its ambitious goal of reaching upper-middle-income country status by 2030.

To that end, WFP will adopt an integrated approach across the mutually reinforcing systems of social protection, food systems and disaster management, promoting healthy diets through nutrition-sensitive approaches in tandem with other investments, including in climate adaptation, that will reinforce food and nutrition security.

WFP will consolidate its enabling role and invest in evidence-based systems strengthening at the national and, increasingly, the subnational level, with a focus on supporting policy formulation and implementation, institutional effectiveness and financing for improved service delivery.

This country strategic plan is aligned with government priorities and the priorities and guiding principles of the United Nations. Its formulation has been informed by evaluations, assessments and consultations aimed at ensuring that WFP focuses on its areas of comparative advantage as part of concerted efforts.

The country strategic plan will contribute to Sustainable Development Goals 2 and 17 and strategic outcomes 1 and 4 of WFP’s strategic plan through the following three country strategic plan outcomes:

➢ Outcome 1: By 2028, systems are strengthened for people in Cambodia, particularly women and others most at risk of being left behind, to benefit from improved nutrition, education and social protection.

➢ Outcome 2: By 2028, food systems and disaster management systems in Cambodia are strengthened to better support the livelihoods, climate adaptive capacity and ability to manage shocks of people in hazard-prone areas.

➢ Outcome 3: Crisis-affected populations in Cambodia are able to meet their food, nutrition and other essential needs during and after crises.

Outcome 1 focuses on WFP’s contribution to human capital development; outcome 2 supports climate change adaptation by enhancing the resilience of food systems and of people exposed to shocks and stressors; and outcome 3 represents a contingency plan for crisis response and will be activated only if needed.

WFP will achieve these outcomes in partnership with the Royal Government of Cambodia at the national, subnational and local levels; United Nations partners including the other Rome-based agencies; research partners; communities and crisis-affected people; donors; and the private sector.