The Border Consortium (TBC), which provides food aid to refugee camps along the Thai-Myanmar border, announced on March 31 that it would reduce food assistance over a four-month period from April to July.
Maw Moe Bue, the chairman of Karenni Refugee Camp 1, informed Kantarawaddy Times that the camp has been facing an 80% reduction in food rations since April 1.
“It’s about 80%—actually, it might be a bit more than 80%,” She said.
Food support in the camp has previously been provided based on age categories, with different cash assistance amounts for children under and over the age of five.
Before the cuts, children under the age of four received between 180 to 280 baht per month. Currently, they receive as little as 40 baht per child.
Similarly, residents over the age of five, who previously received between 300 to over 400 baht monthly, are now receiving only around 80 baht.
This reduction affects all nine temporary refugee camps along the Thai-Myanmar border, according to TBC’s official statement. The reason cited for the cutbacks is a decrease in donor funding.
“TBC is being impacted by reductions in funding from the U.S. government,” said Naw Kaw Htoo, chair of the Karenni Refugee Committee (KnRC).
Following the announcement, people living in the camps are expressing concern, and community leaders warn that the situation could lead to additional challenges.
“Residents may be forced to clear more land for cultivation or seek employment outside the camp, which could result in increased unregulated activity,” said Maw Moe Bue.
“We are also concerned about a potential rise in domestic violence and the weakening enforcement of both camp regulations and the host country’s policies. These are significant challenges we are now facing,” she added.
TBC has stated that it is actively exploring emergency solutions and long-term funding strategies. They have pledged to restore ration levels as soon as new funding becomes available.
Currently, Karenni Refugee Camp 1 is home to 8,719 people, comprising 2,024 households, according to TBC’s latest population data.
Earlier, on January 27, following an executive order signed by former U.S. President Donald Trump to suspend international aid, several healthcare services operating along the Thai border were also forced to halt operations.
