Thailand has evacuated more than 100,000 residents from areas near its border with Cambodia, as the two countries engage in their most intense military conflict in over a decade.
The Thai Interior Ministry confirmed on Friday that 100,672 people have been relocated to emergency shelters. The ongoing clashes have also led to a rising human toll, with the Health Ministry reporting 144 deaths so far.
The situation has triggered international concern, prompting the United Nations Security Council to call an emergency meeting at 3 p.m. ET on Friday. According to China’s CCTV News, both Thailand and Cambodia have formally requested the meeting. Officials from the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs are expected to brief the Council on the escalating violence and humanitarian response.
The border conflict marks the deadliest episode of hostilities between the two Southeast Asian nations in more than a decade, raising fears of broader regional instability.
Map from CNA (Channel News Asia)
This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.