Humanitarian Response Forum (HRF) - Situation Report 7: Cambodia-Thailand Border Situation (12 September 2025)

This report is produced by Humanitarian Response Forum (HRF) in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It covers the period from 6 to 12 September.

Situation and Impact

Seven weeks after the height of the Cambodia-Thailand border conflict, in which heavy fighting led to the displacement of some 172,000 Cambodians from towns and villages along the border in Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey provinces, the number of people displaced continues to gradually decrease. From a peak of 172,094 displaced people as reported by the Ministry of Defense on 30 July, there are 15,115 displaced people as 11 September according to the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), an 87 per cent decrease.

Of the remaining displaced people, 12,033 people remain in 27 displacement sites while 3,082 people are hosted with friends and family. Preah Vihear Province hosts the largest number of displaced people (9,425 people), followed by Siem Reap (4,753 people) and Oddar Meanchey Province (348 people). Meanwhile the number of economic migrants returning from Thailand increased slightly, from 876,666 people according to the National Committee for Counter Trafficking on 03 September, to 878,818 on 08 September, a growing concern as weeks passes with a reduced or no income for vulnerable family’s dependent on wages previously earned in Thailand.

Large scale returns from displacement sites to villages and towns of origin began to occur following the 8 August General Border Committee meeting in Malaysia and subsequent 13-point cease-fire agreement, which brought a halt to hostilities and greater security to towns and villages along the border. Except for a slight increase in displacement on 15-16 August, following unconfirmed reports of a possible attack by the Thai army, the number of displaced people has steadily declined. The number of displaced people is likely to continue to decrease as areas of return are deemed secure for return. For those areas still deemed too insecure, primarily due to continued presence of unexploded ordinances (UXOs), some displacement is likely to persist, though at smaller scale and in consolidated sites.

Humanitarian partners are taking a two-pronged approach; 1) continued support to vulnerable households in remaining displacement sites and, 2) early recovery response planning and implementation for displaced families returning to areas of origin together with returning migrant households. The joint HRF-NCDM Multisectoral Early Recovery Rapid Needs Assessment launched on 26 August identified needs in both areas of displacement and returns and will allow HRF members to develop a response strategy for priority needs in support of Government efforts. The assessment used qualitative methods - FGDs, KIIs and observation - to study seven sectors in locations with high displacement concentrations in Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey provinces to identify key needs. The assessment noted that prioritizing psychosocial support, inclusive education, mental health services, access to food and nutrition services, WASH access, and shelter rehabilitation alongside livelihood support will be vital to prevent further displacement and enable durable recovery.