At least half a million people in Cambodia and Thailand have been evacuated and are sheltering in schools, pagodas and gymnasium as the latest round of border clashes entered its fourth day.
Fighting intensified in more than a dozen locations along their 817km-long contested border with jets, tanks, artillery and drones launching fire. Thailand said on Wednesday about 400,000 people have been evacuated, while Cambodia reported more than 127,000 displaced.
Thai evacuees in the northeastern Surin province said they left soon after an early evacuation warning sounded following a brief skirmish at the Cambodian border on Sunday.
"I could only bring my clothes," Amnat Meephew, 73, said, adding that she only had enough time to pack up his clothes and flee. "I even forgot to lock my doors when I left."
It is the second time in four months that hundreds of thousands of people like him have had to escape the fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbours.
Many people have taken shelter in university halls, sitting or lying on thin mats or in tents erected within their allotted space. Music played to help relieve stress. Health officials checked on evacuees, while volunteers organised activities to entertain children.
At least 19 people have been killed so far, including 10 people in Cambodia and eight soldiers in Thailand. Heavy fighting along the Thai-Cambodian border has claimed the lives of three Thai civilians, marking the first non-combatant fatalities since the conflict reignited.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) called on Thailand and Cambodia for urgent protection of cultural heritage “in all its forms” as many ancient temples along the border came under heavy bombardment.
Unesco said cultural heritage sites, including the Unesco World Heritage site of Preah Vihear Temple, has been threatened by the conflict.
“Unesco will continue to monitor the situation of cultural heritage in the region, with a view to ensuring its protection,” the organisation said.
It said the organisation has shared the geographical coordinates of world heritage sites and nationally significant locations with all parties “in order to avoid any potential damage”.
Cambodian defence ministry spokesperson, Maly Socheata, told reporters that a border temple, which is a “sacred site of Cambodia”, has been shelled.
“The Thai army fired indiscriminately into civilian areas and schools and especially shelled Ta Krabey temple,” she said.
The Thai army accused Cambodia of firing rockets that landed in the vicinity of the Phanom Dong Rak hospital in Surin province which was also struck in the July clashes.
Efforts to negotiate a truce between the two countries by Malaysia and the US are ongoing with Malayan prime minister Anwar Ibrahim and US president Donald Trump seeking to intervene after successfully brokering a ceasefire to end the hostilities in July.
Mr Ibrahim said he spoke to the Thai and Cambodian prime ministers and appreciated their openness towards negotiations.
"I appreciate the openness and willingness of both leaders to continue negotiations in order to ease tensions and avoid any misunderstandings that could worsen the situation," Mr Anwar said in a post on on Wednesday.
Mr Trump said he was due to call the leaders of the two countries, expressing confidence that he could settle the hostilities “pretty quickly”.
“I think I can get them to stop fighting. Who else can do that?” Mr Trump said on Wednesday.
However, Thai prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul has reacted more warily this time to overtures from Mr Trump and Mr Ibrahim while Cambodian leader Hun Manet has expressed willingness for talks to ease tensions.
Mr Charnvirakul said on Thursday he would "explain and clarify" the situation if Mr Trump called.
"He will need to hear the details directly from me if he contacts me," he told reporters. "I believe the foreign minister will already be providing information at the diplomatic level."
The US, Malaysia and China help broker a ceasefire between the two in July. In October, Mr Trump endorsed a follow-on joint declaration, hailing fresh trade deals with Thailand and Cambodia after they agreed to extend their truce.
But Thailand pulled out of the agreement the following month.
