A devastating withdrawal of international humanitarian funding has forced refugees from Myanmar in Thailand to tap into their own scarce resources to maintain critical, life-sustaining camp services.
The Border Consortium (TBC)—a Thailand-based humanitarian group that has supported border camps for over 30 years—refugee-led committees are single-handedly filling the gaps left behind by international non-governmental organizations (INGOs).
The TBC’s latest report, titled “Refugee-Led Governance in Transition: Leading the Shift from Aid Dependence to Self-Reliance on the Thailand-Myanmar Border,” details the growing strain on the 107,000 refugees currently residing across nine camps along the frontier.
A system pushed to the brink
The funding crisis hit a breaking point following major international donor cuts in 2025. Historically, international aid funded the baseline management of camp infrastructure. Now, funding has dropped so sharply that TBC can only assist the most fragile segments of the population.
“We can now support only those we categorise as most vulnerable, which amounts to fewer than 16 per cent of the total refugee population,” Maximillian Mørch, TBC’s head of program development and quality assurance, told DVB. “These are people who, often because of disability, poor health or old age, are unable to work and support themselves.”
To keep camps habitable, the Karen Refugee Committee (KRC), the Karenni Refugee Committee (KnRC), and individual camp committees—which collectively employ more than 1,650 refugees—have had to rely on community contributions and limited local funds. They are currently footing the bills for:
- Fuel and maintenance for vital water pumps.
- Daily waste and refuse collection.
- Hospital bills and medical referrals.
While Mørch noted that it is a “real testament to how communities have organised themselves” that these systems have held up so far, he warned of a grim outlook.
“The worry is what comes next, as committees tell us they are unsure how long they can keep funding these services from their own resources,” he added.
Navigating Thailand’s New Legal Landscape
Beyond maintaining basic survival infrastructure, the camp committees have seen their responsibilities expand into legal advocacy.
Following the introduction of Thailand’s refugee work permit scheme in August 2025, the committees have taken on the vital role of coordinating between camp residents, Thai authorities, employers, and aid agencies to help refugees secure lawful employment.
Despite having administered camp affairs since their inception in the 1980s—long before the arrival of international aid groups—refugee committees are routinely sidelined by global agencies.
The TBC report revealed a frustrating pattern of exclusion, noting that camp leaders are rarely treated as key stakeholders in decisions directly impacting their people. According to camp committee members, international organizations frequently shut them out of discussions regarding funding rollbacks and service reductions.
Some committee leaders reported learning about major funding cuts through news reports rather than direct consultation.
Furthermore, the report highlighted instances of tokenism, claiming that refugee committees were sometimes slapped onto international funding proposals and “localisation initiatives” without being given any meaningful planning or decision-making power.
A call for real partnership
With the 2021 military coup destroying any short-term prospects for a safe, voluntary return to Myanmar, the conflict continues to push new arrivals into the already strained camp ecosystem.
TBC is urgently calling on United Nations agencies and international donors to formally recognize these refugee committees as frontline decision-makers.
The consortium stresses that providing direct financial support to these experienced, self-governing refugee bodies is the only viable way to prevent a total collapse of essential services along the border.
