Earlier this month, Clashes on the border with Thailand have resumed., forcing thousands of families to flee their homes. In Cambodia, pagodas and public spaces in the provinces of Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear have been turned into safe havens. However, the emergency is far from over.

The Wat Phnom Thmor Kambor camp has become one of the main secure sites since the beginning of the conflict. © AE Cambodia

Families arrived with few possessions, carrying only what they could carry. Children left their classrooms, and elderly people and pregnant women fled in conditions of extreme urgency. In recent months, families have begun to return home or relocate as the security situation has improved., since the end of the clashes that began in July. But this new outbreak of violence has seen the Wat Phnom Thmor Kambor camp fill up once again. And the needs of the new arrivals are very real.

In the field: bringing comfort to displaced families

On 9 and 10 December 2025, Action Education visited the site to provide essential aid: tents, food and small gifts for the children of Tamoun Sen Chey Primary School, many of whom had fled the conflict zone with their families. To improve access to education, even in displacement situations, the team also purchased and installed solar panels to power the mobile library, enabling children to continue reading and learning even in times of crisis. In response to increasing needs, additional tents were also distributed to help families protect themselves from rain, sun and cold nights.

However, the situation is fluid and constantly changing. According to school director Tamoun Sen Chey, the families currently staying at Wat Thmor Kambor have been instructed to move to the Chong Kal refugee site (security camp) for safety reasons. Wat Thmor Kambor is located too close to the border and the conflict zone.

Further south: difficult conditions at the Tuol Andet site

At the Wat Oddarkiri Tuol Andet security camp, displaced families continue to live in extremely difficult conditions. The most vulnerable groups (pregnant women, young children and the elderly) face overcrowding, limited access to sanitation facilities and inadequate sleeping conditions. Humanitarian aid is available, including food distributions, psychosocial support services and child-friendly activities, provided by humanitarian partners. However, gaps remain, particularly in terms of shelter and basic supplies.

A member of the Action Education team participates in the distribution of essential goods in Tuol Andet.

During our visit, our team saw first-hand the urgent need for shelter and basic comforts. In response, we distributed 100 tents, 100 sports shirts for children and food. Small gestures cannot solve all problems, but they bring dignity, warmth and recognition at a time when many families fear they will be forgotten.

Resilient minds: strength in the face of adversity

To date, thousands of people in the affected provinces are still living in reception centres. Not all of them can return home yet: many have lost their homes, land, livestock or livelihoods, and some villages near the border remain too dangerous to return to. For these families, the road to recovery will be a long one.

Across the border provinces, each of our visits reveals both resilience and suffering: abandoned classrooms, interrupted livelihoods, childhoods put on hold. Yet we continue to see remarkable strength, children laughing over small gifts, parents rebuilding hope day by day, and communities supporting each other.

Our commitment continues: to listen, respond, support, and ensure that aid reaches everywhere, even in the most challenging contexts.