UNICEF urges de-escalation and protection of children amid rising Thailand–Cambodia border tensions

Statement by June Kunugi, UNICEF Regional Director for East Asia and the Pacific

24 July 2025
UNICEF Logo
UNICEF Thailand/2022

Bangkok, 24 July 2025 – UNICEF is deeply concerned by the escalating violence along the Thailand–Cambodia border, which has reportedly resulted in civilian casualties, including the killing of children, and the temporary closure of hundreds of schools in affected areas.

UNICEF calls on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and protect children and the critical services they rely on, in line with their obligations under international law, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Children must be protected at all times and their safety and well-being must be prioritized, while schools must remain safe spaces for learning. 

Media contacts

Chiara Frisone
Communication Specialist
UNICEF East Asia and Pacific
Tel: +66 6269 25897
Eliane Luthi
Regional Chief of Advocacy and Communication
UNICEF East Asia and Pacific
Tel: +66 (65) 5415-4874

About UNICEF

UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.

For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit www.unicef.org/thailand.

For general inquiries, please contact: [email protected].

Follow UNICEF on  and Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X (Formerly Twitter)