At least one refugee from Myanmar has died since the Trump administration’s funding freeze forced the closure of hospitals on the Thai border.
On Sunday, the US State Department announced that it and the US Agency for International Development would suspend all foreign assistance for 90 days pending a review.
Seven clinics in refugee camps on Thailand’s border with Myanmar, where more than 80,000 people are sheltering, have since closed.
According to the Thai authorities, around 100,000 refugees from Myanmar are sheltering in nine border camps. The camps are mainly run by the International Rescue Committee (IRC).
A man in his 50s died at Umpiem Mai camp, according to a female refugee. “He was paralyzed and was at an inpatient care unit for nearly a year on oxygen. He was discharged and died on Tuesday. His funeral was held on Wednesday,” she said.
A female health worker at the Mae La camp, the largest border camp with over 34,000 people, said all inpatients were discharged from hospitals in refugee camps and the remaining medicines and medical equipment were no longer accessible.
“The hospital is closed and we can’t use any of the remaining medical supplies. Some people helped transport four critical patients to the Mae Tao clinic. For the rest, we can only provide prescriptions. However, many of them can’t afford to buy the medicines,” she said.
Medical care has also been withdrawn from the two Karenni refugee camps, where over 15,000 people are sheltering, according to U Banyar, the director of the Karenni Human Rights Group.
“It’s very difficult to leave the camps and one of them is especially hard to reach. With no income, it’s tough for refugees to go to other clinics. Without documents, refugees are often detained by the police when they leave the camp. With the closure of clinics inside the camps, common illnesses become serious issues. Medicine and equipment were left behind when the clinics closed, but we can’t use them,” he said.
The aid suspension has affected Mae La, Umpiem Mai and Nu Po in Tak Province, Ban Don Yang in Kanchanaburi Province, Tham Hin in Ratchaburi Province and the two Karenni camps in Mae Hong Son Province, where more than 80,000 people are taking refuge, according to the Thai border consortium.
Saw Robert Htwe, chairman of the Karen Refugee Committee which with the KRC runs the Mae La, Umpiem Mai, Ban Don Yang and Tham Hin camps, told The Irrawaddy that they have been holding talks with aid donors but there are no clear answers and no arrangements can be made for critical patients.
Dr Cynthia Maung, founder of the Mae Tao clinic in Mae Sot, told The Irrawaddy that her center is still operating because she does not depend solely on US aid, but its services could be threatened in the long run.
“All groups need to work together to continue services. We must discuss priorities, how we can share our resources and which services we can drop,” she said.
Her clinic has provided free health care for citizens from Myanmar since 1989. It has a 100-bed hospital and treats around 500 outpatients per day.