We set out from Phnom Penh with a clear mission in mid-December: to reach three Internally Displaced People (IDP) camps in Banteay Meanchey province. You may wonder, in this age of advanced technology, why such camps still exist in Cambodia. The truth is sobering. These three camps are only a fraction of the hundreds scattered across the country. 

More than half a million Cambodians have been forced to flee their homes to escape shelling and bombing from armed clashes along the Thai-Cambodian border. I joined the humanitarian relief team from Oxfam, delivering 2,000 dignity kits along with food and water storage bottles. 

“The term “dignity kit” struck me as ironic at first. What dignity can there be when you are uprooted from your home, separated from your school, your livelihood, and left to survive on the mercy of others?”

These were my thoughts before arriving. At the camps, reality hit hard. Families shared their stories with tears in their eyes. One mother, holding her toddler, told me: "I left home two days ago. The shelling of our village was too much to bear."

Like her, many fled with nothing. Relief items such as sanitation kits for women, safe drinking water, and basic supplies were not luxuries but urgent necessities. The summer heat was relentless. Thousands of families waited under the blazing sun, children huddled in blue tents, hoping for food and essential aid. 

In the 21st century, when people should be tending their farms, sending their children to school, and enjoying peaceful lives, they were instead enduring the cruelty of war. A war that feels unnecessary like a chess game played by kings and generals, with ordinary people paying the price.

Despite the devastation, Oxfam’s relief efforts shone as a beacon of compassion. I felt profoundly grateful to be part of this mission. The experience changed me. Things I once considered minimal—clean water, basic hygiene, a safe place to rest—revealed themselves as life’s greatest blessings for those in need.

“This is a story I will carry with me forever. It may not mean much to some, but for me, it was deeply fulfilling to stand alongside brave souls and help people in their darkest hour. It was an experience that will last a lifetime.”