Source: Amnesty International –
The United States government’s abrupt and sweeping freeze on foreign aid is severely imperiling the human rights of refugees, civilians in armed conflict areas and individuals fleeing persecution in Myanmar, Amnesty International said today.
The organization warned that lives could be lost unless the decision is urgently reversed, amended or if waivers for life-saving assistance are not immediately granted and swiftly implemented for those working on the ground.
“The Trump administration’s cruel decision to issue immediate stop work orders on foreign aid is having an instant and devastating impact across the globe, and in Myanmar it is hitting people at a particularly dark hour,” said Amnesty International’s Myanmar Researcher Joe Freeman.
“The decision has abruptly shut down hospitals in refugee camps, put fleeing human rights defenders at risk of deportation and imperiled programs helping people prevent atrocities, survive in conflict zones and rebuild their lives amid ongoing waves of violence.”
On 20 January, US President Donald Trump signed a presidential executive order pausing all foreign aid amid a 90-day review of whether it is consistent with American foreign policy. On 24 January, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a stop work order to those delivering assistance worldwide as part of the review, but carved out exemptions to the pause for emergency food assistance, as well as military aid to Israel and Egypt.
An additional waiver dated 28 January exempted “life-saving humanitarian assistance” from the stoppage, while follow-up clarifications in the first week of February broadened the exemptions for specific activities. However, based on Amnesty’s latest research, implementation of these waivers has yet to trickle down to many organizations working along the Thai-Myanmar border.
“The US government’s shocking move has had immediate global impacts whose real-life consequences are still being felt and understood. Our findings from Myanmar and Thailand provide just one example of the damage wrought by this heartless decision,” Joe Freeman said.
In Myanmar, the funding pause has further devastated a civilian population already enduring escalating armed conflict, widespread displacement and severe human rights violations by a military that seized power in a coup more than four years ago. It has also sowed chaos, desperation and anguish among tens of thousands of Myanmar refugees living in Thailand.
The US is effectively giving the rights-abusing Myanmar military an invaluable gift in their crackdown on freedom of expression
To date, US funding has helped many endure the upheaval by supporting emergency shelter or relocation for activists, delivering food aid, helping create early-warning systems for air strikes, delivering medical treatment in war zones and providing education opportunities to those who have lost all hope of a future.
From 3-10 February, Amnesty International spoke to 12 Myanmar refugees living in camps along the border in Thailand, along with representatives from 14 organizations with Myanmar-focused activities. They include health workers, human rights researchers and NGOs providing cross-border assistance as well as media and education providers. All warned of severe consequences if the decision was not reversed or amended. Not one had received a communication or confirmation of a waiver from the US government to continue operations.