Cambodian displacement camps strain as 34,440 people remain months after Thailand-Cambodia clashes
More than 34,440 people remain in Cambodian displacement camps as of May 2026, with children’s schooling and family livelihoods severely disrupted after the recent Thailand-Cambodia border clashes.
Displacement figures and living conditions
Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior reports that 34,440 people, including 11,355 children, are living in internal displacement sites across several northern provinces as of May 2026. Many families are sheltered in temporary blue tarpaulin tents on pagoda grounds, while others have moved into government-built stilt houses as an interim measure.
Conditions vary widely between camps: some residents survive largely on donated food and aid, while those with slightly more resources rent space or rely on informal labour to buy necessities. Water fetching, cooking and basic sanitation remain daily burdens for children as young as 11 who have taken on household chores.
Education disrupted for displaced children
Parents and humanitarian workers say schooling in the camps is fragmented and inconsistent, affecting both attendance and learning outcomes. Primary pupils in some sites can access nearby classes, but older students often must travel long distances—sometimes 15km or more—to reach secondary schools.
Rising fuel costs and the financial strain of displacement have increased dropout rates, with many teenagers unable to commute to classes. Education programme leads warn that prolonged displacement and economic hardship risk permanently removing a generation from formal schooling.
Access and movement restricted by militarisation
Large shipping containers, barbed wire and military checkpoints have become physical barriers along sections of the border, blocking access to villages that were occupied during the fighting. Local farmers and residents say they are prevented from returning home because both Cambodian and Thai forces maintain heavily militarised zones.
Authorities in front-line areas have restricted civilian movement citing security concerns, leaving some elderly residents unable to harvest crops or sleep in their own homes. The presence of military installations near civilian dwellings continues to raise fears of renewed hostilities.
Human toll and trauma in displaced communities
Families displaced by the clashes describe pervasive anxiety and psychological strain, particularly among children who report hearing rumours of renewed fighting. Parents say that children frequently worry about relatives serving on the front lines and that fear often undermines their ability to concentrate at school.
Community leaders and aid workers report increased incidents of stress-related behaviour and call for expanded psychosocial support in camps. Aid organisations emphasise the need for safe learning spaces and counselling to prevent long-term educational and mental-health consequences.
Government response and shelter solutions
The Cambodian government has moved some displaced households from emergency tents into wooden stilt houses constructed near displacement sites, providing a more durable form of shelter. Officials say this is a temporary resettlement step while the security situation remains fluid and returns to villages are unsafe.
Humanitarian actors continue to supply food, water and non-food items, but capacity constraints mean assistance does not always meet needs. Donor fatigue and competing global crises have complicated relief efforts, and agencies are urging coordinated support to sustain essential services.
Local dynamics and nationalist sentiment
In border provinces, social-media driven nationalist sentiment has flared as some residents post about what they describe as Thai occupation of Cambodian territory. These online narratives have heightened tensions and fuelled anger toward the visible military infrastructure along the frontier.
Local officials caution that social media rumour can intensify fear and obstruct dialogue, while community figures call for measured, de-escalatory leadership to prevent isolated incidents from sparking further confrontation.
Security situation and prospects for return
A ceasefire agreed at the end of December 2025 has reduced large-scale fighting, but both sides remain on heightened alert and small-scale incidents continue to be reported. The fragile nature of the truce means many displaced families are reluctant to return without firm guarantees of safety and access to their land.
Humanitarian and government planners stress that sustainable returns will require de-mining, restoration of services and confidence-building measures between local communities and military authorities. Until those conditions are met, many displaced households will continue to depend on shelters and aid.
Tens of thousands of Cambodians displaced by the Thailand-Cambodia border clashes face an uncertain months-long wait before they can resume normal lives, with interrupted education, restricted movement and psychological impacts likely to shape recovery unless sustained humanitarian and political efforts secure stable conditions for return.
