February 2, 2011 - As lead agency for the PREPARE project, a coalition funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), International Medical Corps is working to strengthen the capacity of countries in Africa and Asia for disaster management and pandemic preparedness planning. As part of the project, International Medical Corps conducted four-day multi-sectoral workshops in Cambodia and Kenya

Like most developing countries, Cambodia faces increasing challenges and is greatly affected by various threats such as climate change, the global financial recession, the increase of poverty, poor overall health indicators and an exponential rise in the number of fatal traffic accidents. The Cambodian Red Cross (CRC), as auxiliary to the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC), is addressing most of these issues in close cooperation with, and with close support from various Red Cross and non- Red Cross partners. The national society has observed recent

In the context of the Asia Pacific zone, its demographic, socio-economic and environmental trends, and the IFRC's strategic priorities, the Southeast Asia regional office team continues to support the 11 national societies in Southeast Asia. The countries of the region remain vulnerable to health and disaster-related risks. Disasters which annually affect the region include cyclones, typhoons, floods and earthquakes. The goals, means of delivery and strategic framework of this Southeast Asia regional plan fit within the wider Federation Asia Pacific