Cambodians flee border areas but worry about kids' life at relief sites

303,200 displaced civilians facing growing concern over income, health and education

- May Wong

Ms Sao Sopha was heavily pregnant when she left home with her son and her cabdriver husband in search of safety on Dec 9, a day after military clashes flared up again between Cambodia and Thailand.

“I am worried and scared because bullets were flying over my roof, and the roof was shaking,” said Ms Sopha, 27, who is from O’Beichoan commune in northwestern Banteay Meanchey province, near the border with Thailand.

She and her family arrived safely at a temporary relief site set up on the grounds of a pagoda in O’Chrov district, about an hour away from her home.

Two days later on Dec 11, she started experiencing labour pain while at the shelter and was taken by an ambulance to the nearest hospital, where she gave birth to her daughter.

“I felt worried before she was born, but now I feel a bit better because she has arrived safely,” said Ms Sopha, who spoke to The Sunday Times at the shelter as she held her baby.

Ms Sopha and her family are among the 303,200 civilians displaced by the latest fighting, according to figures from the Cambodian authorities. A total of 909 public and private schools have been forced to close, affecting more than 216,000 students, the Cambodian Interior Ministry said on Dec 12.

At least 100 families have set up camp at the pagoda relief site since fighting between Thailand and Cambodia resumed on Dec 8 after an earlier five-day conflict in July. Many families have children between three and 14 years old.

Some expressed worries that their children would fall sick or miss out on school.