This Life Supports Emergency Response for Families Displaced by Border Tensions, Enabled by the Martin James Foundation

 

This Life is supporting children and families displaced by recent border tensions along the Cambodia–Thailand border, delivering urgent and child-centred emergency assistance with flexible funding support from the Martin James Foundation (MJF).

The escalation of tensions has resulted in large-scale displacement, with women and children among those most affected. Many families are currently living in temporary and overcrowded settings, facing disruptions to daily life, access to essential services, and children’s learning and wellbeing.

In the absence of direct in-school support, This Life has worked closely with subnational governments to establish nine child-friendly learning spaces, seven in Siem Reap Province and two in Banteay Meanchey Province. These spaces provide safe, supportive environments where children can continue basic learning activities, structured play, and psychosocial stimulation in non-formal settings.

With flexible support from the Martin James Foundation, This Life was able to respond quickly to priority needs by:

• Providing emergency food and essential assistance to displaced families 
• Supporting 10,413 children through child-friendly learning spaces, structured learning and play activities
• Distributing Learning Kits to all camps, containing educational materials, books, puzzles, play equipment, tents, furniture, and first aid kits
• Providing 700 children with individual learning packages containing essential study materials and refreshments
• Supporting 360 children with weekly refreshments, contributing to improved attendance and engagement
• Delivering psychosocial and protective support to children and caregivers affected by displacement

This flexible funding enabled This Life to act rapidly and responsibly during a critical period, reducing immediate risks to children and supporting families as they adapted to temporary living conditions.

“We are deeply grateful for the trust and flexibility shown by the Martin James Foundation. Their support enables us to respond quickly and responsibly, while keeping child protection and dignity at the centre of our work,” said Se Chhin, Deputy Director of This Life.

As the situation continues to evolve, This Life remains committed to working alongside communities and government partners to support displaced children and families in ways that are safe, ethical, and sustainable, while strengthening pathways back to formal education where possible.

We thank the Martin James Foundation for enabling this response and for standing with children and families at a critical time.