Additional Context: This information was collected by Human Rights Watch, or HRW, in August 2025. These programs were run by the Thai Border Consortium, providing food assistance and the International Rescue Committee, providing primary healthcare services. Burmese refugees in the camps along the Thai-Myanmar border told HRW that the loss of these assistance programs, along with the lack of formal employment opportunities, have driven theft, high-risk migration, and child labor. Refugees also described witnessing a rise in substance abuse and heightened psychological distress and depression among the community.

Devex Researcher Note: Although the Thai government lifted some employment restrictions on refugeees from Myanmar from October 2025 onward, the policy shift has offered only a limited economic lifeline to a small number of refugees, and has not resolved food and health needs at scale. Many fear these shifts may be trading aid dependency for labor exploitation, as reported by The Aid Report in January 2026.

Source: Human Rights Watch