Aid Cuts Deepening Myanmar Military-made Crisis

While the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) convened in Geneva this month, the human rights and humanitarian crisis in Myanmar is worsening and international life-saving aid continues to plummet. In Myanmar and along its borders, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees are suffering the junta’s atrocities and enduring devastating consequences—hunger, disease, and even death.

In a rapid series of airstrikes in March, the Myanmar military bombed Let Pan Hla Village, Singu Township, Mandalay Region, killing a total of 35 people. On 16 March, the junta bombed a Buddhist monastery in Naungcho (Nawnghkio) Town, northern Shan State, killing at least 10 civilians including five children. Junta airstrikes result in greater displacement, and those running for their lives face food insecurity and loss of livelihoods, often being pushed to the brink of starvation as they flee. These latest attacks are just recent examples of the junta’s horrifying war of terror against Myanmar people, as it continues to commit atrocity crimes against civilians across the country. As junta violence further intensifies, civilians continue to bear the brunt of the crisis, facing unprecedented hardship compounded by critical funding descent.

At the HRC, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar addressed the devastating impact of aid cuts: “The sudden, chaotic withdrawal of support by member states, principally the government of the United States, is already having a crushing impact.” Stark examples of these impacts are alarming. Nearly 110,000 people across nine refugee camps along the Thailand-Myanmar border are facing profound effects. “[The Border Consortium] is currently facing a funding shortfall…. a reduction in food card assistance from April to July 2025…. The majority of households across the nine shelters—more than 80%—will experience a substantial decrease in monthly food support,” stated The Border Consortium, a long-standing humanitarian organization. What happens now is a critical question for these vulnerable people in need.

Meanwhile, Rohingya people in their homeland Rakhine State, Myanmar, are in particularly dire circumstances as they face famine unless urgent action is taken. In Bangladesh, over one million Rohingya refugees in camps—who fled the Myanmar military’s genocidal campaign in 2017—suffer deplorable, inhuman conditions and are now facing food insecurity. On 7 March 2025, the World Food Program announced that the impact of severe aid cut would half monthly rations to USD 6. Tun Khin, President of Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK, said, “Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh will be brought to the brink of starvation because of ration cuts, while in Burma they face ongoing genocide and a famine.”  Although the rations amount was restored to USD 12 per month following the US government’s contribution, uncertainties loom for Rohingya refugees, who are already overwhelmed by the daily fight for survival. As stated by the Special Rapporteur, “…with desperation fueling violence, human trafficking, child marriage, sexual exploitation and increasing numbers of people putting their lives, and those their family, in the hands of smugglers.”

Against this backdrop, at the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur at the HRC, Executive Director of the Chin Human Rights Organization, Salai Za Uk Ling, reported on the severe conditions in Chin State: critical shortages of food, medicine, and basic necessities amidst the junta’s escalating atrocities, particularly airstrikes which are resulting in widespread destruction and mass casualties. Khin Ohmar, Chairperson of Progressive Voice, speaking on behalf of the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), also called attention to brutal junta airstrikes: “The junta has intensified violence and atrocities, particularly airstrikes —the only advantage it has over the people’s resistance —with tragic consequences.” She called for urgent action: “…the already dire humanitarian crisis in Myanmar has been deepened by the abrupt and irresponsible cuts to humanitarian aid. With the dwindling aid, immediate action to end airstrikes is essential to prevent descent into famine and further human suffering.”

In the same week, UN Secretary-General António Guterres visited Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. His visit is welcome at such a critical time, but it was long overdue and should have taken place earlier. Going forward, his attention and leadership are urgently needed on Myanmar as a whole, as he himself noted, “It is essential that the international community does everything to make sure that peace is reestablished in Myanmar and the rights of Rohingya are respected.”

Without delay, the international community must take action to provide life-saving aid to vulnerable people of Myanmar, including the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh camps. Such inhumane, reckless, and irresponsible aid cuts must be reversed and replenished to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches the most vulnerable populations and human rights protection work continues. In particular, the US government’s Executive Order halting foreign aid, which has inflicted immense suffering on millions, should be reversed immediately. At the same time, the root cause of the crisis—the military junta—must be cut off from access to all arms and fuel to weaken its capacity to continue genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity through a global arms embargo, including sanctions on aviation fuel and other dual-use goods. The international community must do more to hold junta chief Min Aung Hlaing and his criminal gang accountable for their atrocity crimes. It is time for the world to stand with the Myanmar people.

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[1] One year following the 1988 pro-democracy uprising, the former military junta changed the country’s name from Burma to Myanmar overnight. Progressive Voice uses the term ‘Myanmar’ in acknowledgement that most people of the country use this term. However, the deception of inclusiveness and the historical process of coercion by the former State Peace and Development Council military regime into usage of ‘Myanmar’ rather than ‘Burma’ without the consent of the people is recognized and not forgotten. Thus, under certain circumstances, ‘Burma’ is used.

Progressive Voice is a participatory, rights-based policy research and advocacy organization that was born out of Burma Partnership. Burma Partnership officially ended its work on October 10, 2016 transitioning to a rights-based policy research and advocacy organization called Progressive Voice. For further information, please see our press release “Burma Partnership Celebrates Continuing Regional Solidarity for Burma and Embraces the Work Ahead for Progressive Voice.”