At Wat Bat Thkao, displaced families have begun cultivating vegetables, a small but vital step towards sustaining daily life for those unable to return home. - PPP
PHNOM PENH: Two days after a ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand came into effect, thousands of displaced families in Oddar Meanchey province face a slow and uncertain road home as authorities warn that large swathes of land remain unsafe.
More than 50,000 of the total provincial population of 68,000 families were forced to flee their homes following fighting along the border. Although the ceasefire has allowed some movement, not everyone has been able to return, with only some 10 per cent of displaced families having been observed leaving.
Oddar Meanchey Governor Mean Chanyada said those looking to return must proceed cautiously, guided by security assessments and humanitarian considerations.
“The ceasefire allows people to return, but only when safety can be guaranteed,” he said, citing the fourth point of the ceasefire agreement, which calls for facilitating returns under safe conditions.
As of Dec 28, around 70 per cent of displaced residents at Wat Bat Thkao in Chongkal commune had begun returning to their villages.
Oddar Meanchey Governor Mean Chanyada says the return process for evacuees must proceed cautiously, guided by security assessments and humanitarian considerations. Hong Raksmey
The safety centre initially hosted 7,796 families, or 30,857 people. That number has now fallen to 190 families, equivalent to 1,043 people.
Across the province, 67,924 families – totalling 278,793 people – were displaced at the peak of the crisis, with 45,671 families now having left the centres.
Authorities have divided return areas into three categories: red zones, yellow zones and white zones.
Red zones, which include border areas and strategic roads stretching for more than 200 kilometres, remain highly dangerous and off-limits.
Yellow zones are affected by unexploded ordnance and cluster munitions and require clearance by the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC), while white zones are considered safe for return.
“People are returning in two ways,” Governor Chanyada said. “Some go briefly to check on their homes and livestock, while others return officially under the guidance of the authorities, which is based on safety assessments.”
In Samrong town, limited economic activity has resumed, with some residents reopening small businesses on a trial basis.
However, authorities have restricted full family returns in sensitive areas, allowing mainly men to enter, while women and children remain at safety centres.
For those from red zones, the wait may be long. Provincial officials are now searching for long-term accommodation and suitable land for farming or small businesses to help displaced families sustain their livelihoods while demining and border assessments continue.
Humanitarian support remains in place. Displaced families are receiving shelter, healthcare, food and education services for children.
Governor Chanyada also acknowledged support from philanthropists and civil society groups, as well as guidance from First Lady Dr Pich Chanmony to promote self-reliance initiatives.
At Wat Bat Thkao, displaced families have begun cultivating vegetables on three hectares of land, a small but vital step toward sustaining daily life for those unable to return home in the near future.
Despite the ceasefire, recovery in Oddar Meanchey remains fragile. With large areas still unsafe and livelihoods disrupted, the province’s journey from conflict to stability is proving to be a long and cautious one – defined less by the sound of gunfire, and more by quiet waiting. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
