Letter From Cambodia
Uprooted by war, displaced Cambodians build new life in Waiting Village
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Sun Samnoeun, who lost her house and land in the Thai-Cambodian border conflict, with her husband and children at their temporary home set up by the Cambodian government for those displaced.
ST PHOTO: MAY WONG
- 20,000 Cambodians displaced by the 2025 Thai-Cambodia border clashes are still grappling with the loss of their homes and livelihoods.
- About 13,000 of them are living in the Rong Cham Village (Waiting Village), a community of 3,000 houses built by the Cambodian government.
- As the Waiting Village residents struggle to move on, some are trying to turn their box houses into home as it is uncertain how long they have to stay.
AI generated
BANTEAY MEANCHEY, Cambodia – Over a year ago, Sun Samnoeun, 32, had built a new semi-detached house on land nearly the size of two Olympic-sized pools which she bought with $58,000 of life savings scrimped and saved by her and her husband.
The future looked rosy for the Cambodian couple and their two children, aged five and six.