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Asian AngleTrump’s aid freeze will hit Myanmar hard
The loss of US funding will affect aid access to vulnerable communities and remote regions, and make it difficult for others to fill the gap
4-MIN READ4-MIN
The panic and chaos caused by US President Donald Trump’s executive order to halt foreign aid, followed by the shutdown plan of USAID, have roiled global humanitarian efforts, and Myanmar is no exception.
The United States has been a significant contributor to the country’s emergency and community resilience work. The US Agency for International Development’s shutdown, along with the broader reduction in US government funding, will have far-reaching implications for cross-border and in-country aid operations for Myanmar.
Myanmar accounts for more than US$238 million of the combined portfolios of US$35 billion among 159 countries that received USAID funding in 2024. About 47 per cent of the US$238 million went to the humanitarian sector. The remainder went into sectors such as healthcare, economy and education. The US has traditionally provided significant assistance to hard-to-reach regions in Myanmar through local partners and cross-border assistance. Refugees, internally displaced persons and vulnerable communities in conflict-affected border regions are primary recipients.
Mere days after the aid-freeze decision, people on the Thai-Myanmar border already felt the shock. Several agencies decided to cease essential humanitarian assistance programmes and shut down healthcare services on the Thai-Myanmar border. The Karenni Refugee Camp in Thailand’s Mae Hong Son district was one of the first to close down. Suddenly, its equipment and medicines were unavailable to those who needed it most, including pregnant women and people dependent on oxygen tanks to breathe.
Aid for the Rohingya through Bangladesh will be the only exemption.
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