On Saturday 10th January, the ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand will be two weeks old. So far it appears to be holding. But in case anyone thinks that means the whole situation is sorted and everything is back to normal…… you’d be quite wrong. With close to a million people from both countries affected by displacement, the humanitarian situation is very little changed.
Father Totet Banayal from St John Parish, Siem Reap writes, “These families cannot go back to their homes because their homes are located in red areas along the Thai-Cambodian border of Oddar Meanchey. There are some of them whose houses were destroyed from bombing and they have nothing to go back to. Today I listen to their stories while trying to keep myself from crying. The stories are just heart-rending.”
The picture below shows Father Totet helping with a food distribution organised by his parish in the area north of Siem Reap.
Aid from many sources, including Karuna Battambang Organisation, the Catholic Prefecture of Battambang and many others continues to be distributed. Support Cambodia has joined other NGOs in contributing, principally baby milk and food supplies.
Here, Dr Nhor Chamrom is pictured with Bishop Kike Figaredo during a distribution programme to 315 families in Banteay Meanchey Province on January 2nd.
Rice, groceries, canned & dried fish, diapers, cooking oil, salt, pure water, laundry detergent and sanitary pads – basic necessities that most people reading this just take for granted. Add to that, inadequate shelter, very basic hygiene, children with no schooling available, only the clothes you stand up in……and no real idea of what the future holds.
For our contacts living and working within a few kilometres of the border, life has been very, very stressful. The Daughters of Charity run a student hostel around 5 miles from the border. Sister Norma Esperas writes: “Three times we prepared to send our students home and evacuate our house. We saw drones flying over and jet planes passing by Pailin airspace, not sure they were Thai or Khmer so [we felt] very insecure. Thanks be to God we were spared but the conflict has not yet ended. The peace situation is still very fragile and anytime it may spark again.”
During the Trustees Visit, we will be meeting Sister Norma and her students, some of whose families are sponsored by Support Cambodia.
This is the very definition of “disadvantaged communities in North West Cambodia”. This is one of the reasons Support Cambodia exists.
During the Trustees Visit [19th January to 3rd February], we will be meeting Sister Norma and her students, some of whose families are sponsored by Support Cambodia.
We will also be visiting as many of our current projects as possible, security permitting, and talking to those on the ground to get a first-hand account of what the last few weeks have been like.
Follow our trip via the daily blog on our Facebook or Instagram pages, join the Support Cambodia WhatsApp Group or follow this link https://supportcambodia.org.uk/category/trustee-visit-2026/
