Cambodia has launched a new UN-backed programme aimed at expanding access to climate-resilient and safely managed water services, targeting vulnerable communities increasingly affected by droughts, floods and limited infrastructure. The initiative, known as the Water Infrastructure & Smart Energy Joint Programme (WISE JP), was unveiled on Monday by the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, in partnership with UNICEF and the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF). At the core of the programme is a blended-finance facility that combines concessional and commercial capital to support private investment in water supply systems powered by renewable energy. The model is designed to…
Author: Raksmey Hong
Cambodia has launched a $7 million Korea-backed initiative aimed at narrowing healthcare gaps in the remote northeastern province of Ratanakkiri, as part of a broader push to strengthen the country’s public health system and expand access to essential services in underserved areas. The project, officially titled the “Project for Strengthening Comprehensive Public Health System in Ratanakkiri Province”, was launched on March 20 through a partnership between the Korea International Cooperation Agency and Cambodia’s Ministry of Health Cambodia. Set to run until 2030, the initiative adopts what officials describe as an integrated approach — targeting not only healthcare infrastructure, but also…
Inside a small tent at Wat Kandoul displacement camp, 56-year-old Chhou Toch sits quietly, thinking about the house she had just finished building less than a month before it was lost in the recent border clashes. For the past three months, she has lived as a displaced civilian — months marked by hardship and longing. The recent move from makeshift tents, exposed to heat and flooding, into newly built shelters has brought some relief. But as Sangkranta approaches — a time traditionally reserved for family reunions and home preparations — the contrast has been stark. “We used to clean the…
The sound of longing for home continues to echo among thousands of displaced residents along the Cambodia–Thailand border, with families saying temporary shelters cannot replace the homes they have lost. Rim Lay Khim, from Thnal Bambek village in the Boeung Trakuon area, said that although conditions at the new temporary site are better than the makeshift camp at Wat Kandoul, it is still not what people truly want. “Temporary shelters are not our home. We want our houses back — our villages, the place that gave us warmth and happiness,” she says, Life in the shelters remains difficult. Tents are…
Authorities arrested 49 suspects in a raid on an online scam operation at a hotel in Sen Sok district on March 22, as part of ongoing efforts to curb cybercrime in Cambodia. The operation, led by the Phnom Penh Unified Command, targeted a site in Ou Bek K’am commune where suspects were allegedly running fraudulent “investment schemes” aimed at victims in Malaysia and other countries. Those detained were mostly foreign nationals — primarily Chinese — along with individuals from Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam and a single Cambodian. “On the ground floor, there were 7 people in the security camera room, including…
A long-abandoned royal residence in Cambodia’s remote northeast is set for a major transformation after receiving approval from Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk for it to be renovated into a regional museum, in a move aimed at preserving national history while boosting local development. The initiative, proposed by Youk Chhang, director of the Queen Mother Library, will convert the historic residence in Stung Treng into “Preah Sarak Munti,” a royal museum dedicated to the legacy of Cambodia’s monarchy and the Kingdom’s struggle for peace and independence. The Queen Mother granted her personal permission to transform the site, describing it as…
Cambodia is moving closer to formally integrating the Korean language into its public education system, as the first cohort of locally trained language teachers prepares to enter classrooms nationwide. The shift was underscored on March 19 at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, when 11 graduates completed the country’s inaugural Korean Language Teacher Training Programme. “The newly certified teachers are expected to be deployed to public schools beginning in the 2026–2027 academic year in September, marking a transition from informal instruction to a more structured, state-supported model,” according to the South Korean embassy to Cambodia. The programme reflects deepening educational…
The profound beauty of Cambodia’s natural heritage takes centre stage this season as three distinct artistic voices — Hom Rith, Ouk Vichet and Anya Minko — unveil a collaborative exploration of the Kingdom’s evolving terrain. Hosted at the Rosewood Phnom Penh, the exhibition, titled Tonlé to Treeline, offers an inspiring look at the country’s ecological spirit through a storytelling lens that spans from the depths of the Great Lake to the heights of the forest canopy. At the heart of the collection is the work of Hom Rith, a self-taught watercolourist from Kampot whose delicate compositions capture the quiet poetry…
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court has ordered the pre-trial detention of 65 suspects, the majority of them Cambodian citizens, in connection with an alleged organised online scam network, according to the Secretariat of the Commission for Combating Online Scams (CCOS) press release issued on March 19. The secretariat said the court’s prosecutor said the accused — eight Chinese and 57 Cambodians — have been charged with “aggravated fraud committed by an organised group”, with the alleged offences taking place both here and overseas. The arrests followed a March 10 operation by the Phnom Penh Unified Command Committee, which raided a…
A Cambodian man was killed instantly and another seriously injured in a cluster munition explosion at around 11.30am this morning, March 19. The incident, which took place in Banteay Meanchey province’s Boeung Snor village, in Svay Chek district’s Slakram commune, underscores the continuing danger posed by remnants of war following the Thai invasion in December, during which unexploded ordnance — particularly cluster munitions — continues to threaten civilian lives. According to authorities, the deceased was identified as Chan Sareth, 44, while Ta Jas, 47, sustained serious injuries and was rushed to the provincial capital’s Cambodia-Japan Friendship Hospital. Authorities said the…