Opportunities for Aid, Protection along Thailand-Myanmar Border

Delivery of aid to displaced people from Myanmar along the Thai-Myanmar border December 2021. Credit. Asia Reports.

Nearly a year and a half after the Myanmar military’s coup, the people of Myanmar are suffering. Amid ongoing violence and repression, hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes, and a quarter of the country’s population—an estimated 14 million people—need humanitarian assistance. Meanwhile, the military junta is blocking the delivery of aid to those in need.

The world has an opportunity to help—especially along the Thai-Myanmar border where long-established groups who have helped displaced people since the 1990s can help serve as a vital lifeline for the informal delivery of aid. 

On July 12 Refugees International published “Paths of Assistance: Opportunities for Aid and Protection along the Thailand-Myanmar Border,” a report that addresses the current conditions inside Myanmar, explores barriers and opportunities for the provision of humanitarian assistance and protection to those reachable along the border, and recommends practical actions the government of Thailand, the United States, and international donors can take to get relief to those who desperately need it. 

Report author Daniel P. Sullivan travelled to the Thai-Myanmar border in late May and interviewed dozens of UN actors, international NGOs, local organizations, and refugees recently arrived from inside Myanmar. The report and its recommendations are based on those interviews. 

The report is available here: https://www.refugeesinternational.org/reports/2022/7/11/paths-of-assistance-opportunities-for-aid-and-protection-along-the-thailand-myanmar-border

Refugees International Press release