Humanitarian Response Forum (HRF) - Situation Report 15: Cambodia-Thailand Border Situation (16th January 2026)

This report is produced by the Humanitarian Response Forum (HRF) in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It covers the period from 10 –16th January 2026.

Situation and Impact

As of 15th January, the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) reported that141,850 people continue to live in 102 displacement sites and with relatives across the country demonstrating a significant reduction from the peak of displacement on 27 December (2025), when national tracking records indicated that approximately 649,000 people were displaced inside displacement sites and host communities.

At the same time, continued monitoring in and around displacement sites, alongside partner reporting, indicates that a sizable number of households may remain displaced for an extended period. While returns are progressing, movements remain uneven and, in some locations, households have reported needing to temporarily relocate back to sites due to housing damage, service disruptions, and safety constraints affecting areas of origin, including concerns linked to explosive hazards. These dynamics suggest that, alongside support for returns, sustained assistance will remain necessary for those who cannot yet safely or sustainably leave displacement sites. On 15 January, the HRF Sector leads and NCDM discussed the draft response plan of the HRF. It was clear that the plan needed reasonably accurate estimates of people who had returned and those who are likely to stay in displacement in the foreseeable period, to have two separate responses – for those who had returned and for those staying back. On the same day, the HRF Co-Chairs and OCHA met NCDM to review the numbers to get a good understanding. NCDM also informed of plans of authorities on assisting with recovery efforts of the people who have returned, especially with those who had been severely impacted. HRF agreed to wait for NCDM to provide data on the numbers of returnees and those likely to remain in displacement for longer period due to contamination of their habitats and other factors. NCDM has confirmed that the subnational authorities are also in the process of consolidating the displacement sites including encouraging those households who are staying outside camp sites to facilitate easier, efficient and effective provision of services.

Priority concerns reported through routine field engagement include:

Shelter and NFIs: continued reliance on communal or temporary shelter arrangements, with gaps in privacy, weather protection and essential household items.
WASH: persistent pressure on sanitation capacity and hygiene conditions, reflected in continued scale up of facilities (15 additional latrines supported by World Vision, 58 toilets installed by UNICEF) and ongoing distributions to thousands of families, alongside remaining needs for gender sensitive and accessible services.
Food security and nutrition: continued reliance on assistance, with elevated risk of malnutrition among young children; partners screened 1,452 children under five and registered SAM cases for treatment, while identifying children and pregnant and lactating women for supplementary feeding and micronutrient support.
Health and psychosocial support: uneven service availability across sites, requiring sustained access to primary care, immunization and referrals; preventive services continue at scale (46,701 children reached with MR vaccination) alongside increased demand for MHPSS.
Protection and social protection: protection risks persist in congested settings, including child protection and GBV concerns and the need for functional referrals and complaints mechanisms; social protection delivery continues under relaxed conditionality, with over 78,000 IDPoor households receiving payments.
Education: learning disruption remains significant, with 69 schools still closed affecting 12,601 students; temporary learning continues in camps (52 ECD classes across 39 sites) and partners are preparing additional learning supplies for reopened schools.
The response remains nationally led, with coordination adapting as the context shifts from mass displacement to a more complex mix of camp-based needs and area-based support for return and reintegration. Early recovery is progressing in parallel with lifesaving assistance, with activities concentrated in Pursat, Battambang, Preah Vihear, Oddar Meanchey and Banteay Meanchey to help households restore basic services and livelihoods and, where conditions allow, move towards durable solutions as returns continue. Support is being maintained for people in camps, families hosted in communities and returnees, though coverage and continuity vary by location due to differences in capacity, access and the pace of service restoration.

With a significant caseload still residing in sites, humanitarian priorities are expected to remain focused on sustaining minimum living conditions and protection safeguards in displacement settings, while scaling support in areas of return particularly where housing damage, service restoration, and safety considerations continue to shape the pace and sustainability of return movements.