Angelina Jolie renews global attention on Cambodia’s border displacement crisis

PHOTO: - Hollywood star Angelina Jolie has dedicated herself to humanitarian work in the Kingdom, including a bee-keeping project in Battambang province. Supplied

Hollywood actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolie has drawn the eyes of the world back to Cambodia’s unresolved border displacement crisis, saying her “heart is with everyone still waiting to come home” as the country marks one year since fighting erupted along the Cambodia-Thailand border, leaving nearly 30,000 people still unable to return to their homes.

In a July 24 message posted to her Instagram account, Jolie reflected on the human cost of the conflict and her family’s longstanding ties to Cambodia, describing the country as “a special country” for both herself and her children.

“One year ago, conflict broke out along Cambodia’s border, upending the safety and stability of so many. Now, nearly 30,000 people remain internally displaced and unable to return home,” she wrote.

The Oscar-winning actress said Cambodia has remained central to her life for more than two decades, noting that her adopted son Maddox was born in the country and that her family’s humanitarian work has been rooted in the border region through the Maddox Foundation.

“Cambodia has always been a special country for me and my family. This is my son’s country of birth, our home is here, and for over 20 years, we’ve worked with a fully locally-led team on conservation and community development. The Maddox Foundation is headquartered on the same border where the recent conflict took place,” she said.

Jolie explained that the fighting forced the foundation to evacuate its staff and their families from the area, an experience she described as “a painful reminder of just how quickly conflict can return”.

She added that although the organisation has since resumed conservation work and programmes supporting community health and livelihoods, many displaced families remain unable to return to their villages.

“I love this country and its resilient, warm people. While we’re grateful to have resumed our work protecting the land and supporting the community’s health and livelihoods, my heart is with everyone still waiting to come home,” Jolie wrote.

Her comments come as Cambodia commemorates the first anniversary of the outbreak of armed clashes along the frontier with Thailand, a conflict that displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians at its peak.

Although most evacuees have since returned, government figures indicate that nearly 30,000 people remain internally displaced because security concerns continue to prevent them from going back to their homes.

Many have been relocated to newly established temporary settlements in border provinces while authorities work to improve living conditions and prepare for their eventual return.

The humanitarian situation has also affected community development initiatives in the border region, where mine clearance, conservation and livelihood projects have long been underway.

The Maddox Foundation, formerly known as the Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation, has operated in Cambodia for more than two decades, supporting demining, environmental conservation, healthcare, education and rural development through a Cambodian-led team.

Its headquarters are located near the border area where fighting occurred last year.

Jolie’s latest statement adds an internationally recognised voice to ongoing concern over the humanitarian impact of the conflict.

Throughout her humanitarian career, she has frequently drawn attention to communities affected by war and displacement, including refugees and internally displaced people in conflict zones around the world.

While her message focused on the experiences of displaced families rather than political developments, it underscored the continuing challenges faced by communities living along Cambodia’s border one year after the conflict began, with thousands still waiting for the day they can safely return home.

-Phnom Penh Post-