The Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH) Cambodia Office has initiated a comprehensive emergency relief and public health response to support families displaced by the recent conflict along the Cambodia-Thailand border in Banteay Meanchey Province.

On 19 January, representatives from the KOFIH Cambodia Office accompanied His Excellency Dr. Le Chansangvath, Director of the Banteay Meanchey Provincial Health Department (PHD), in the distribution of essential relief supplies to displaced households currently residing in designated evacuation shelters.

Emergency Response to Displacement Crisis

Following armed clashes in December 2025, Banteay Meanchey Province established 116 evacuation sites to accommodate approximately 54,895 displaced families, amounting to an estimated 183,587 individuals. Overcrowded shelter conditions significantly increased the risk of communicable disease transmission, necessitating urgent public health and humanitarian interventions.

In response to an urgent request from the Provincial Health Department of Banteay Meanchey, KOFIH mobilized targeted emergency assistance aimed at addressing immediate survival needs while mitigating public health risks.

The distributed assistance includes:

• Emergency Shelter and Bedding: 550 tents, 500 sleeping mats, and 500 blankets.
• Health and Hygiene Supplies: 1,000 units of laundry detergent, 500 mosquito nets, 500 mosquito repellents, and 500 towels.
• Food and Water Assistance: 10,000 bottles of drinking water and more than 1,000 sets of emergency food rations (instant noodles, canned fish, etc.).

Enhancing Provincial Capacity for Disease Control

Beyond immediate humanitarian relief, the intervention forms part of KOFIH’s ongoing ‘Strengthening for Communicable Disease Control of Border Region in Northwest Cambodia (2023-2026)’ project, which aims to enhance provincial preparedness and response capacity for public health emergencies.

As part of this effort, KOFIH has supported key infrastructure and operational improvements, including:

• Renovation of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC): Upgrading the Disease Control Unit within the Banteay Meanchey PHD with modern workstations, servers, and meeting facilities to strengthen coordination and surveillance functions.
• Strengthening Rapid Response Capacity: Provision of 480 blue-vest uniforms for the Rapid Response Team (RRT) and distribution of 1,007 first-aid kits to health centers and frontline volunteers operating in border and high-risk areas.

“The continued partnership with KOFIH significantly strengthens the resilience of our provincial health system in times of extreme hardship”, stated H.E.Dr. Le Chansangvath. 

KOFIH reaffirmed its commitment to reducing global health inequalities and advancing both immediate humanitarian assistance and sustainable health security in Banteay Meanchey Province.