UNESCO Warns Preah Vihear Damage 'Unprecedented' as ICC Pledges Rescue Effort

PHNOM PENH — Sept. 30, 2026: Conservation experts have pledged to intensify efforts to save Preah Vihear Temple, as UNESCO warned that damage to the World Heritage site is unprecedented in scale and severity.

The commitment came at the 11th Technical Meeting of the International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of Preah Vihear Temple (ICC-Preah Vihear), held on Sept. 30, 2026, in Siem Reap province, with national and international heritage experts taking part.

Ms. LI Qiaozhi, China's co-chair, said the temple requires urgent protection and conservation, and that China is ready to work with India and Cambodia to preserve it for future generations. India's co-chair, Mr. Vijay Shankar Prasad, noted India's involvement since 2013 in restoring several Khmer temples, including Preah Vihear's Fifth Gopura, and said the work is essential to preserving the site's identity and universal value.

Preah Vihear sustained heavy damage in the 2025 attacks. ICC-Preah Vihear Ad-hoc experts subsequently inspected the site from Poy Tadi through the First to Fifth Gopura, the worst-hit area. They identified drainage as the most urgent priority to prevent water infiltration and structural collapse, and recommended continued reinforcement of high-risk sections.


The assessment followed a March 2026 joint mission by UNESCO and ICOMOS, which recorded hundreds of damaged locations within the temple complex.

According to the Ministry of Information, UNESCO described the damage as unprecedented, warning that the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage site is under threat and noting that "there is almost no area of the temple that has not been damaged."

Source: Ministry of Information
https://www.information.gov.kh/articles/203340

Reported by The Khmer Daily Network