Humanitarian Response Forum (HRF) - Situation Report 8: Cambodia-Thailand Border Situation (3 October 2025)

This report is produced by Humanitarian Response Forum (HRF) in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It covers the period from 13 September to 3 October.

Situation and Impact

Nine weeks on from the cessation of hostilities and following continued implementation of the 13-point ceasefire, the humanitarian situation along the Cambodia–Thailand border has continued to improve. The number of people displaced continued to decline until 22 September, when it reached 11,151. However, since then there are fresh displacements and as of 02 October, the figures increased to 16,049, showing a 44% increase. Of these, 14,739 people remain across 25 displacement sites while 1,310 are hosted by friends and relatives. Returns are concentrated to Preah Vihear (10,416 people), Siem Reap (3,986 people) and Oddar Meanchey (1,647 people). Concurrently, economic migrants returning from Thailand have risen from 878,818 (08 Sep) to 886,546 (30 Sept) reported by National Committee for Counter Trafficking (NCCT), with many households reporting depleted savings and limited income options.

Security conditions remain largely stable with no major incidents reported in the period. Access to areas of return improved, though unexploded ordnance (UXO) contamination continues to restrict movement and livelihoods in pockets of Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey. Risk education sessions reached and clearance/prioritization tasks are ongoing in high-risk locations. Authorities and community leaders report steady reopening of markets and resuming basic public services.

Humanitarian partners under the Humanitarian Response Forum (HRF), in close coordination with the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), are progressively shifting from blanket relief to targeted support for the most vulnerable in the remaining sites while scaling up early recovery in areas of return. Based on the HRF-NCDM rapid assessment findings, priority interventions in this period included: psychosocial support/MHPSS sessions; continuity of learning for children (temporary learning spaces/accelerated catch-up); restoration of WASH services (repair of water points, latrines rehabilitated); and distribution of shelter repair kits to households. Food assistance transitioned to targeted modalities, complemented by multipurpose cash grants for households with specific needs and start-up packages for livelihood groups (e.g., agriculture and petty trade).

The HRF finalized a 7-page, Early Recovery Response Strategy outlining short-term lifesaving support for IDPs (Protection, WASH, FSN, Health) and medium-term early recovery for returnees (livelihoods, shelter, education, health) in prioritized provinces (Preah Vihear, Siem Reap, Oddar Meanchey). The plan embeds cross-sector measures (camp/relocation site management standards, centralized site focal point), bi-weekly SitReps, and 5W monitoring (to Feb 2026). An After-Action Review will inform updated contingency planning.