Trump Funding Pause Severely Disrupts Aid to Border Areas

Trump Funding Pause Severely Disrupts Aid to Border Areas

President Donald Trump's order to halt US funding for international development programs has sent shockwaves globally, leading to the suspension of US government-funded humanitarian operations along the Thailand-Myanmar border.

Several US Government and USAID backed organisations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) providing education, healthcare, and aid to Myanmar refugees sheltering in the areas of Thailand bordering Myanmar have been forced to suspend operations due to Trump’s order to pause aid funding.

A staff member of an NGO based in Mae Sot in Thailand’s Tak Province said: “All organisations relying on U.S. humanitarian assistance in the region have been affected. Some operations providing education, healthcare, and support for war-displaced communities have now been suspended. We are also unable to continue supporting our volunteers who are delivering aid in the field.”

According to a 24 January 2025 memo sent to officials and U.S. embassies, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered a halt to nearly all existing foreign assistance and paused new aid, following President Trump's executive order mandating a 90-day suspension to review efficiencies and alignment with his foreign policy.

As a result, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), which provides healthcare services to refugee camps in Thailand on the border with Myanmar suspended its healthcare operations on 27 January 2025.

Camp officials confirmed reports that hospitals in border refugee camps have been forced to discharge patients as photos of patients leaving the hospitals began circulating on social media.

The IRC is the main funder of of organisations providing healthcare support along the border, so the withdrawal of its funding has meant that nearly all healthcare to refugees on the Thai side of the border has been withdrawn.

Trump's decision to pause aid has also led to the closure of several organisations that provide education and healthcare services relied upon by migrant workers.

Also, some organisations offering cross-border healthcare and emergency assistance to displaced communities inside Myanmar in the border areas with Thailand have been forced to shut down or reduce their operations. These include cross-border ethnic healthcare organisations that primarily rely on funding from the US government to provide healthcare support and water sanitation services in border conflict areas that are difficult to access from within Myanmar.

A person working for a healthcare provider in the Thai/Myanmar border area who wishes to stay anonymous said to KIC: “About half of all such organisations have been affected. As a result, anti-malaria training has been suspended, and our organisation has had to reduce staff pay.”

After the suspension of aid from the US, border-based humanitarian organisations held emergency meetings to inform their staff about the situation and some officially announced on social media that they would suspend operations.

The Committee for Internally Displaced Karen People (CIDKP), which provides humanitarian aid to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Karen National Union (KNU)-controlled areas, has confirmed that all four of its primary operations have been suspended.

Saw Khe Lay, the deputy head of the CIDKP said: “On 27 January, we received notification to cease all four of our primary operations funded by the US Government. These include education about local governance processes, providing financial assistance for IDPs, distributing communication equipment, and supplying first aid and hygiene kits. All of these have now been suspended.”

Trump’s cutting of aid may also seriously affect independent Myanmar media operations as some are heavily reliant on US Government funding.

Local media reported that Trump's order resulted in some Myanmar refugees who had already been granted asylum in the United States having to return to refugee camps, whilst Chin refugees in Malaysia have been turned back at the airport.

The US is the world's largest international aid donor and it spent 68 billion USD on aid in 2023, according to government figures cited by the BBC.

A similar situation which led to the suspension of aid during Trump’s first term as US president in 2017 had major repercussions in the Thai-Myanmar border region.

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