Cambodian civilians cry for peace as Thai aggression deepens humanitarian crisis

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (Dec. 23, 2025) — At more than 70 years old, the elderly man should have been spending his days resting at home, surrounded by grandchildren. Instead, he has been forced to flee again and again, driven from village to village by what Cambodian authorities describe as Thailand’s military aggression against Cambodia’s sovereignty.

He first fled after shells landed near his home, seeking refuge in a makeshift shelter in Ou Ambel commune, Serei Saophoan district. “I fled here because Thai forces fired shells close to my village,” he said quietly, his face heavy with exhaustion.

But even displacement did not bring safety. Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence said Thai attacks expanded far beyond the border, with F-16 fighter jets striking targets as far as 70 kilometers inside Cambodian territory. “When I arrived in Ou Ambel, Thai aircraft dropped bombs about 100 meters from the camp,” he recalled. “Everyone ran — families with small children, the elderly — all of us were terrified.”

Sitting beneath a plastic tent roof, surrounded by scattered clothes and personal belongings, he said his only wish is to return home. “I want to ask the international community to help Cambodia find peace. Help push Thai soldiers out of Cambodia and stop the attacks. Cambodians did not invade Thailand. We did not attack them — they attacked us.”

A displaced woman from Trapeang Prasat district in Oddar Meanchey province shared a similar ordeal. She said she, her husband and children fled Ou Ambel in fear after Thai bombs fell close to the shelter where they were staying. With her hands clasped in prayer, she pleaded through tears: “I only ask for peace. I don’t want to live in a displacement camp like this. I want to go home, reunite with my family, and let my children return to school. My children are still very young.”

She added that along the road to the evacuation site at a local pagoda, fellow Cambodians offered water, rice and food to her family — a gesture of solidarity and compassion during hardship.

The Ministry of Interior said that since Dec. 7, a total of 636,536 people have fled their homes, including 331,707 women and 202,455 children. Authorities reported 30 civilians killed and 87 injured, with numbers expected to rise as shelling and airstrikes continue.

Civilian infrastructure has suffered widespread damage across multiple provinces, including homes, schools, health centers, pagodas, bridges, markets, government buildings and even an ancient temple. Fresh overnight shelling from Dec. 23 to 24 damaged additional property in Battambang province.

Officials warn the numbers may continue to rise as fighting persists, with homes, schools, pagodas, markets and even ancient temples damaged. For Cambodia’s displaced families, the crisis is not only about survival but about preserving dignity, heritage and the hope of returning home.