The Silent Suffering of Cambodia’s Displaced: A Call for International Action
The Silent Suffering of Cambodia’s Displaced: A Call for International Action
[Opinion]
War is often reduced to lines on a map and military calculations. Yet behind every act of aggression are civilians whose lives are torn apart. Today, Cambodian people living along the border regions are enduring immense suffering as a result of Thailand’s military aggression against Cambodian territory.
As of 21 December, an estimated 520,000 Cambodian civilians have been displaced by the fighting. Among them are approximately 270,000 women and 160,000 children, many of whom require urgent protection, care, and uninterrupted access to education, healthcare, and basic necessities. These are not statistics; they are families forced to flee their homes with little more than what they could carry, leaving behind livelihoods built over generations.
Entire villages have been emptied. Homes, farms, schools, and local markets have been abandoned as people seek safety. For displaced families, survival has become a daily struggle. Parents worry about how to feed their children, how to protect them from disease and trauma, and whether they will ever be able to return home. The elderly and persons with disabilities face even greater hardship, relying heavily on humanitarian assistance.
This humanitarian crisis is the direct result of armed actions that violate Cambodia’s sovereignty and contravene international law. The United Nations Charter clearly prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity of another state. International humanitarian law further requires the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure during conflict. When hundreds of thousands of civilians are driven from their homes, these obligations cannot be dismissed or minimized.
Beyond the immediate suffering, the long-term consequences are severe. Displacement disrupts education, destroys economic stability, and leaves deep psychological scars—especially on children. A generation of Cambodian youth now faces uncertainty not of their making, simply because military force was chosen over dialogue and restraint.
Cambodia has consistently called for peaceful coexistence and respect for international norms. It is precisely this commitment to peace that makes the current aggression so alarming. Continued escalation risks undermining regional stability and eroding the rules-based international order that protects all nations, large and small.
The displaced civilians of Cambodia are appealing to the international community not only for humanitarian assistance, but for decisive action. Emergency aid is urgently needed to care for women and children who make up the majority of the displaced. At the same time, diplomatic pressure must be applied to halt military aggression and ensure accountability for violations of international law.
Silence is not neutrality. Failure to act in the face of such suffering sends a dangerous message—that the displacement of half a million people can be ignored. The world must reaffirm that sovereignty matters, civilian lives matter, and international law must be upheld.
The people of Cambodia deserve the right to live in peace on their own land. They deserve protection, justice, and the chance to return home safely. The international community must act now—before the human cost grows even higher.
Roth Santepheap is a geopolitical analyst based in Phnom Penh. The views expressed are his own.
-Khmer Times-
