The new Executive Orders signed by President Trump will significantly impact the camps and southeastern Myanmar. Many activities in the camps conducted by IRC and JRS, including medical assistance, have also been halted.

For TBC, funding for food and charcoal is provided by the US PRM. We have not yet received a stop-work order and we believe we should qualify for the humanitarian exemption to funding pauses. However there has been no formal assurance that funding will continue, which is concerning. If US aid is suspended for three months, the projected shortfall would be around $4 million. We will need to assess our financial reserves and explore how other donors might help fill the gap.

TBC has been actively reaching out to donors and embassies to explore potential emergency funding. We are also heavily engaged in advocacy with the Royal Thai Government regarding employment opportunities for refugees. The Executive Director recently met with Rapee Lochaiyakul, Director of the Internal Security Division at the NSC, to discuss integrating camp refugees into the Thai framework. A key proposal involved issuing legal documents to allow refugees to travel within the province where their camp is located. Encouragingly, the Thai government appears open to exploring options, including Legal documentation, work opportunities outside the camps, and even the potential closure of the camps.

Allowing refugees to work would be a transformative step, enabling them to support themselves and reducing the need for long-term food assistance. This is crucial for advancing TBCs goal of achieving durable solutions for refugees.