28,000 Cambodians still displaced despite ceasefire

PPP

Nearly six months after Cambodia and Thailand agreed a ceasefire to end deadly border clashes, tens of thousands of civilians remain unable to return home.

According to the Ministry of Interior, 28,460 people are still displaced as of 15 June, including more than 14,000 women and nearly 10,000 children. While around 615,000 of the 640,000 civilians uprooted during the fighting have gone back to their communities, the remainder continue to live in temporary shelters.

The figures underline the human cost of the conflict, which officially ended on 27 December but left deep scars. Schools, hospitals and farmland remain inaccessible in several provinces. In Oddar Meanchey, eight schools and five health centres are still closed; in Banteay Meanchey, five schools and one health facility remain shut; and in Preah Vihear, seven schools and two hospitals have yet to reopen.

Senate president Hun Sen, acting head of state, has described the relocation sites as “Waiting Villages”, stressing they are meant to be temporary. He said the shelters provide safety while families wait for conditions that allow them to return to their homes.

For many, however, the wait has already stretched into months. Families have set up makeshift businesses to survive, but they remain cut off from their land, livelihoods and schools. “Many displaced residents continue to live in temporary shelters after being forced to leave villages near the border,” the ministry noted.

The government insists it is pursuing a peaceful resolution through diplomatic and legal channels. Prime Minister Hun Manet has initiated a compulsory conciliation process under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to address outstanding disputes. Officials say Cambodia is documenting developments along the border while seeking solutions grounded in international law.

Yet for the 28,000 still displaced, the most pressing concern is not diplomacy but the chance to return home. Their future depends on improved security, restored public services and progress in resolving the border dispute.

-2026-06-16