The world’s largest sports institutions — the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which has 206 members worldwide, together with the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) — have recognised that Cambodia is suffering as a result of territorial aggression by the Thai military. This has forced innocent civilians to flee their homes, affecting their rights to life, education and especially the right to participate in sport.
In response to these hardships, the IOC and OCA have provided substantial humanitarian assistance through the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC) to support Cambodian displaced persons. This aid comes from the Olympic Refugee Fund, a special project of the IOC and OCA that is only granted after careful verification, not given automatically, explained Vath Chamroeun, NOCC secretary-general.
Chamroeun and members of the Cambodian Olympic Movement displayed the IOC and OCA refugee assistance at the NOCC headquarters on December 25, noting that providing aid to displaced people in Cambodia is fully in line with international sporting principles.
He explained that the assistance, delivered through the NOCC, follows a memorandum of understanding between the IOC and the UN refugee agency, under which the IOC supports countries hosting people displaced by war or disaster to help ease their suffering.
This support also aims to encourage children and youth — including students — to maintain their rights to life and education, especially the right to participate in sport, regardless of where they are forced to relocate. It also recognises that many refugee populations in different countries include athletes.
“The spirit behind these donations to help Cambodian displaced people comes from the recognition that the war arose from a violation acknowledged by the international community and the Olympic Movement worldwide — that Cambodia is the victim,” asserted Chamroeun.
“This is an important moral support in delivering justice to our displaced people, affirming that we are truly victims of war caused by real aggression. That is why the NOCC has directly received assistance from the IOC and OCA to help our displaced citizens,” he added.
He reiterated that the NOCC executive committee and the Cambodian Olympic Movement continue to uphold humanitarian values, calling for an end to aggression and the forced displacement of civilians, which they described as a tragedy requiring collective effort to address.
The IOC and OCA assistance includes rice, books, school supplies, sports equipment, medical kits and many other essential items totalling several tonnes. The NOCC will distribute the aid in two ways.
Direct donations to displaced people in Oddar Meanchey province, and a large portion, together with eight million riel in cash, will be donated through the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, which represents the government in the sports movement and links education with sport.
Chamroeun said that this international recognition represents a strong show of solidarity, reflecting the humanitarian spirit of the UN and the IOC in supporting refugees worldwide, and noted that Cambodia has received special attention, with assistance delivered immediately upon receiving the information.
“These material donations are valuable, but even more important is the moral support — the humanitarian movement that stands behind them. This sends a message to the world that sport is linked to peace. That is why the Olympic Refugee Fund exists: to send a global message against war, echoing our slogan that sport lives in peace,” he added.
On behalf of Thong Khon, president of the NOCC, Chamroeun expressed deep gratitude to the IOC, OCA and the global Olympic Movement for their assistance, pledging that the NOCC will ensure the aid reaches displaced people and the correct locations.
