International Olympic bodies have sent humanitarian aid to Cambodians displaced by recent invasion by Thai forces, a move the country’s Olympic chief said on Friday marked a global recognition of the impact of the conflict.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) delivered the assistance under the Olympic Refugee Foundation, a joint initiative with the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, that operates in regions hit by war or major crises.
“The assistance demonstrates that the international Olympic movement recognises Cambodia as a victim of war,” H.E. Vath Chamroeun, Secretary-General of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC), said at a handover ceremony late on Thursday.
The aid package includes food, educational, sport supplies, medical kits, and so on.
Distribution will be split between direct delivery to displaced communities in Oddar Meanchey province and supplies channeled through the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, to support affected teachers and students.
H.E. Vath Chamroeun said the programme aims to ensure that displaced people, particularly young athletes, retain the right to participate in sports despite being forced from their homes.
“Sport remains a fundamental right,” he said. “Displacement should not deprive people of that opportunity.”
The donation follows an assessment by the IOC and OCA of the humanitarian situation on the ground. H.E. Vath Chamroeun, representing NOCC President H.E. Thong Khon, called for an end to the hostilities, describing the displacement of civilians as a tragedy.
