This paper explores the history of humanitarian interventions that focus on prostitution and sex trafficking in Cambodia. It contends that Western influence in Cambodia both helped to create and now extend the problem, creating what the paper defines as a complex humanitarian emergency. The paper outlines the historical roots of the influence and then examines the ongoing humanitarian response, highlighting areas in which this response has maintained or exacerbated the emergency. It also addresses in a brief outline the implications for international social work practice.