By Brett Medlin
Friends,
The headlines may have faded, but here on the ground in Cambodia, the crisis at the border is still painfully real.
Over the past few weeks, more than 100,000 Khmer people, mostly poor farmers and their families, have been forced to flee their homes along the Thai border. Many escaped with only the clothes on their backs, leaving behind their farms, livestock and everything they had worked for. Now they find themselves crammed into makeshift camps with no steady access to food, clean water, or hygiene supplies.
Thanks to your generosity, Rock Foundation Cambodia has been able to respond quickly. With your support, we’ve delivered over 15 tons (33,000 pounds) of rice to more than 750 displaced villagers and migrant worker families. Each bag of rice means survival for a mother, a child, or a family who feels forgotten in this crisis.
The situation here has been tense and unlike anything we’ve faced before. Access to the border area is tightly restricted, with checkpoints and armed guards blocking most travel. By God’s grace and the kindness of local officials, we were granted special permission by a provincial deputy governor to pass through. City buses were used to evacuate families, and because of security risks, we had to meet our contacts at a prearranged safe location.
Tensions remain high. Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defense released a statement warning that the Thai military was preparing new attacks along the disputed temple zones of Tamone Thom, Ta Krabey, and Preah Vihear just days after both sides had signed a ceasefire agreement. In the chaos, 18 Khmer soldiers were captured and remain hostages. Please keep them, and all those caught in this conflict, in your prayers.
On top of the political uncertainty, our own drilling team has been unable to get within three hours of the Thai border due to safety concerns. If resources allow, we will continue providing food and hope to rebuild some of the homes families were forced to abandon.
Here’s the good news: so far we’ve raised $5,300 for relief efforts. Praise God! Your prayers, your gifts and your willingness to share our updates have made this possible. Every dollar goes directly to providing food, water and relief supplies to families in crisis.
But the need is far from over. Shelves are empty and food shortages remain severe. We are praying for additional funds to provide more rice and support to these families as they wait in uncertainty.
Friends, I cannot thank you enough for standing with us in this critical moment. Your support is making a direct impact on the ground, keeping hope alive for those who feel abandoned by the world. Please continue to pray for peace and protection and keep sharing this need with your networks.
God bless.