Cambodia: Catholic Bishop Donates USD 2,000 to Buddhist Charity for Border Refugee Relief

In a spirit of humanitarianism and national solidarity, Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusler, Apostolic Vicar of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, contributed USD 2,000 on December 16, 2025, to the Wat Ounalom Fund, a Buddhist charitable and development fund associated with Wat Ounalom in Phnom Penh.

The donation is intended to support the purchase of food and essential supplies for Cambodian refugees facing severe hardship due to the ongoing conflict along the Cambodia–Thailand border.

The contribution was formally presented to Most Venerable Samdech Preah Maha Areyavong Dr. Yon Seng Yeath, Rector of Preah Sihanouk Raja Buddhist University and Abbot of Wat Ounalom, who will oversee the distribution of the funds to address the most urgent needs of displaced communities.

This charitable gesture followed a formal discussion on peace, held on December 15 at Wat Ounalom between Bishop Olivier and Most Venerable Samdech Preah Maha Areyavong Dr. Yon Seng Yeath, highlighting the importance of interreligious dialogue and cooperation in times of crisis.

During this difficult period, Bishop Olivier has consistently demonstrated solidarity through multiple humanitarian initiatives, including:

• USD 2,000 donated to Most Venerable Samdech Preah Prohm Ratanamony Pin Sem Sirisuvanṇo in Siem Reap Province;

• USD 1,500 donated to the Ministry of Cults and Religions;

• Six million riel donated to the Development Department of the Ministry of National Defense;

• Additional contributions to various public relief funds.

In recent homilies, Bishop Olivier has urged Catholics to focus on two essential pillars: solidarity, by standing united with fellow citizens to support refugees, especially children, the elderly, and the most vulnerable, and prayer, by drawing on its power to call for immediate peace and to “silence the sound of weapons.”

Emphasizing the urgency of the moment, he said, “As Catholics, we possess a special power: prayer. We pray for peace to come, not tomorrow, but today.”

According to data from Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defense, the border conflict, which reignited on December 7, has had devastating consequences. More than 10 civilians have reportedly lost their lives, many others have been injured, and nearly half a million people have been displaced, facing acute shortages of shelter and food.

In response to the escalating tensions, the bishops of all three Catholic jurisdictions in Cambodia have issued a joint appeal calling for an immediate ceasefire and a peaceful resolution to ensure the safety and protection of all innocent civilians.