From early December 2025, armed clashes along the Cambodia–Thailand border, including airstrikes and artillery, triggered one of Cambodia’s largest displacement crises in decades. Beyond coastal regions, Action Education / Aide et Action is on the ground.
Context and Scope of the Crisis
As of 18 December 2025, around half a million people had been displaced nationwide (Source: Ministry of Interior). Civilians fled under extreme conditions, leaving homes, livelihoods, and schools behind; children face overcrowding, food insecurity, disrupted education, psychosocial distress, and heightened protection risks.
Initially concentrated in border provinces (Preah Vihear, Oddar Meanchey), displacement rapidly expanded to western, coastal, and central provinces, including Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Koh Kong, Siem Reap, and Kampong Thom. Violence reached areas previously considered safe, including Siem Reap, where airstrikes were reported near displacement sites and schools.
Humanitarian Response
From 9 December until today, Action Education / Aide et Action Cambodia has delivered emergency assistance across multiple provinces:
- Siem Reap
- Beantey Meanchey
- Battambang (schools, Bavel district, Khnachormeas School)
- Koh Kong
- Oddar Meanchey
- Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear
- Kampong Thom
Key interventions include:
- Shelter & Protection: Tents, nets, blankets, and solar lighting to ensure safety, dignity, and protection in displacement sites.
- Food & Nutrition: Milk, snacks, rice noodles, and emergency food supplies for children and families.
- Education Continuity: School uniforms, bags, notebooks, books, mobile libraries with solar panels, and emergency enrolment campaigns allowing displaced children to enrol without documentation.
- Psychosocial & Recreational Support: Child-friendly activities, sports T-shirts, safe learning spaces, and psychosocial support to help children cope with trauma.
Impact on Education
Schools have become critical safe spaces, functioning as temporary classrooms for displaced children. Temporary learning spaces have been set up in displacement camps.
- 1,091 schools were closed, affecting 254,480 students and nearly 12,000 teachers across at least seven provinces. (Source: Ministry of Education, 17 December)
- 1,630 schools nationwide have opened their doors to more than 6,000 displaced students, enabling learning to continue despite displacement. (Source: Ministry of Education, 17 December)
Emergency enrolment, education supplies, and teacher mobilisation are preventing large-scale dropout and protecting children from long-term learning loss. Access to education in displacement supports emotional recovery, social connection, and child protection.
Challenges and Ongoing Needs
- Security remains volatile, with continued displacement and repeated relocations.
- Overcrowded sites lack adequate shelter, sanitation, clean water, and basic supplies.
- Children face heightened risks of trauma, interrupted education, exploitation, and loss of routine.
- Needs continue to outpace available resources, particularly for education, psychosocial support, and safe learning spaces.
Conclusion
Despite widespread violence and displacement, displaced families and children continue to demonstrate extraordinary resilience. In this crisis, education is a lifeline—offering safety, routine, protection, and hope amid chaos.
Action Education / Aide et Action Cambodia, in close coordination with the Ministry of Education and partners, remains committed to integrated emergency support—combining shelter, nutrition, education, and psychosocial care—to ensure dignity, protection, and a future for the most vulnerable children, wherever the conflict spreads.
Latest news: www.action-education.org/sea
