A Childhood on Hold: War Turns Cambodia’s Classrooms Into Questions Without Answers

PREAH VIHEAR, Cambodia (Dec. 17, 2025) — Inside a displacement camp near Cambodia’s northern border, an 11-year-old boy asked a question that now echoes across conflict affected provinces: “When will schools reopen?”

For Sam San, who fled his home in Choam Khsant district for the second time in three months, the question remains unanswered as fighting between Cambodian and Thai forces enters its 11th day. Like tens of thousands of other children, his education has been abruptly suspended by a war he does not understand.

This is not the first time conflict has interrupted his schooling. In July, Sam San missed an entire month of classes after being displaced during earlier clashes. Now living in a makeshift shelter, his classroom closed and his future uncertain.

UNICEF officials warn that repeated displacement is inflicting deep psychological scars. During a visit to camps, Anirban Chatterjee, UNICEF Cambodia’s deputy representative, said children are living in fragile conditions without adequate access to education, healthcare or safe water.

“Repeated displacement and anxiety are sadly becoming the new normal for many children,” he said, warning that prolonged stress can cause lasting mental health damage.

Cambodia’s Ministry of Education said 1,091 schools across seven border provinces have been forced to shut, disrupting learning for more than 254,000 students and nearly 12,000 teachers.

The humanitarian toll continues to rise. The Ministry of Interior reported 17 civilian deaths, 77 injuries and more than 438,000 people displaced nationwide, including 134,000 children.

As heavy weapons, airstrikes and artillery pound border areas, classrooms remain silent — replaced by crowded shelters and unanswered questions.