Healing amid uncertainty
Rung Reung, 11, is a quiet girl whose eyes speak with deep emotion. Her silence reflects worry and uncertainty. The middle child in her family, she lived close to the conflict-affected area in Oddar Meanchey Province.
Early one morning, while her parents were preparing to transport their rice harvest to market, they were loading sacks of rice onto a handmade tractor at their home. Suddenly, the sound of gunfire shattered the calm, forcing the family to flee immediately. They climbed onto the tractor and left their village in search of safety.
Along the road, they joined a long line of displaced families travelling by scooters, handmade tractors and cars. Heavy traffic on 8 December, combined with fear and uncertainty, slowed their journey. What would normally take around two hours by motorbike took the family an entire day—from sunrise to sunset—amid the frightening sounds of blasts echoing nearby.
Rung Reung has now been living at a displacement site in Siem Reap Province for over a month. A primary school student, she has enrolled in a nearby school close to the site. Despite the ceasefire on 27 December 2025, she has not yet been able to return home, as her village may still be unsafe due to unexploded ordnance and damage caused by fighting and fires.
She shared that she wishes for lasting peace so she can return home and resume her normal life. Like many adults around her, she continues to pray for peace.
At the displacement site, Rung Reung spends her after-school hours at a Child-Friendly Space established by World Vision. There, she reads books, draws pictures and takes part in psychosocial support activities supported by World Vision’s partner, the Transcultural Psychosocial Organization (TPO).
In the same displacement site, Phally, 65, also displaced from Oddar Meanchey Province, reflected on the experience:
“I never expected this to happen. We have always had good relationships across the border, and I have traded there for more than 35 years.”
She added, “This is not my first experience of conflict. I lived through the Pol Pot period and the civil war, and now this has happened again.”
A rapid Psychological Safety Assessment conducted by World Vision Cambodia on 30–31 July 2025 found that displaced communities in three provinces experienced widespread fear, anxiety, anger and disrupted sleep, with only 35 per cent knowing where to seek help. Children most wanted education and play materials, while adults prioritised food, shelter and medical care.
While staying at the displacement site, Phally has participated in psychosocial support activities led by volunteer Neakru Kanha.
“I feel better when I join these activities. I hope they can continue, as they help us forget our worries, even for a short time,” she said.
Another displaced woman from Oddar Meanchey Province, Samphors, who works in the service sector, shared her experience:
“I came here with nothing. I never expected to be displaced. Early in the morning, as I was returning home from my night shift, we heard the sounds. The sounds were much stronger, and we realised the fighting was real. I left wearing only my work uniform.”
She also noted that psychosocial support activities help reduce stress and worry, even if only slightly.
Kanha, a psychosocial support volunteer, explained that a range of activities are organised to help ease stress among displaced people.
“Dancing has been especially helpful. I’ve noticed that people enjoy it and feel more relaxed when they participate,” she said.
Phally, Samphors and Rung Reung all shared that these sessions have helped them release distress during a time of deep worry—about their homes, livelihoods and safety—especially when sudden clashes erupted and the sound of airstrikes could still be heard.
“We love the sessions led by Neakru Kanha. We enjoy listening, sharing and dancing together,” Phally said.
In partnership with the Transcultural Psychosocial Organization (TPO), World Vision Cambodia has been delivering psycho-education sessions for parents and caregivers living at displacement sites to support their mental wellbeing. These sessions aim to increase understanding of trauma, normalise common stress reactions, reduce stigma around mental health, and promote positive coping strategies such as breathing, relaxation and stress-management techniques.
Post-session observations show improved awareness of stress reactions among participants, including recognising symptoms such as social withdrawal. Parents and caregivers reported applying breathing and relaxation exercises in their daily lives, with several noting improved sleep quality.
To further support children and adolescents affected by conflict, TPO, in collaboration with World Vision Cambodia, has established peer-to-peer support activities and facilitated Child-Friendly Spaces (CFS). These spaces provide safe, supportive environments where children can express emotions and process traumatic experiences through drawing, play and structured activities.
In total, 54 Child-Friendly Spaces have been set up, helping children focus on the present moment, reduce fear, boredom and tension, and strengthen communication and social interaction with peers. Through this joint response, 3,241 displaced people have participated in psycho-education sessions, reporting improved understanding of stress reactions and increased use of healthy coping mechanisms.
World Vision International in Cambodia has been delivering multi-sectoral humanitarian assistance to displaced children and families across education; food security and livelihoods; health and nutrition; protection and psychosocial support; shelter and non-food items; and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in Banteay Meanchey, Preah Vihear, Siem Reap, Battambang and Oddar Meanchey provinces. Between 11 December 2025 and 9 January 2026, World Vision reached 125,988 displaced people—including 37,759 children, over 1,000 people with disabilities, and over 1,800 pregnant and lactating women—through food assistance, learning materials, Child-Friendly Spaces, hygiene and sanitation facilities, nutrition support, shelter items and psychosocial services.
Story by : Khy Loy and Ratana Lay
Photo by: Vanndeth Um