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Burma
EXAMPLES OF OUR IMPACT
- USAID has provided $75 million in disaster relief to communities affected by Cyclone Nargis.
- USAID provides basic medical care to Burmese IDPs, migrants, and refugees along the Thailand-Burma border.
- USAID provides scholarships and ongoing interim education to Burmese within Burma and refugees in Thailand wishing to continue their studies.
USAID/ASIA SITE
www.usaid.gov/rdma
CONTACTS
Michael Stievater
General Development Office
GPF Towers, Tower A
93/1 Wireless Road
Bangkok, 10330 Thailand
Tel: (66-2) 263-7467
Fax: (66-2) 263-7499
Burma Desk Officer
Cheryl Jennings
Tel: (202) 712-4705
Email: cjennings@usaid.gov This seven-year-old Burmese girl’s life was saved through a USAID-supported disease surveillance program. She had been infected with H5N1, a virus that kills more than 60 percent of its victims, and was successfully treated with Tamiflu by rapid-response teams that were checking her district after an outbreak of avian influenza. (Photo: World Health Organization) Overview
While the United States does not have a bilateral relationship with the Government of Burma, USAID promotes responsive governance and provides humanitarian assistance to Burmese internally displaced persons (IDPs), migrants, and refugees in the 10 Thai provinces along the Thailand-Burma border. USAID is also strengthening the capacity to prevent and treat multiple drug-resistant tuberculosis, monitoring resistance to antimalarial drugs, looking for counterfeit antimalarial medicines, and increasing the Burmese surveillance and response capability for outbreaks of influenza among animals and humans. It also helps nongovernmental organizations and community groups address HIV/AIDS.
The problems of human rights abuses, poverty, and limited education and health care within Burma’s borders remain dire. These conditions were greatly exacerbated when Cyclone Nargis struck in May 2008, killing 130,000 people, displacing 800,000, and contributing to food insecurity and inadequate shelter for approximately 2.4 million. To date, USAID has provided $75 million in disaster relief to affected communities in Burma.
Although multi-party elections in 1990 resulted in a decisive victory for the main opposition party, the military junta continues to maintain political and military control in Burma. Under the current regime, the deteriorating social and economic conditions have driven many Burmese to relocate in search of improved security and livelihood opportunities. Approximately 150,000 Burmese refugees and up to 2 million migrants now live in Thailand. Prior to Cyclone Nargis, it was estimated that 500,000 Burmese were displaced in eastern Burma. U.S. Government policies continue to encourage the Burmese government to engage in constructive dialogue with the opposition, with the ultimate goal of national reconciliation.
Programs
Investing In People: Health
Health programs along the Thailand-Burma border provide basic medical care to Burmese people living in Eastern Burma and displaced persons living in and out of refugee camps. They emphasize preventative and curative health care and provide training and expertise to community-based health organizations and clinics providing quality primary health care.
Within Burma, USAID supports programs to combat avian influenza (AI), HIV/AIDS, and other infectious diseases. To prevent outbreaks of AI, USAID supports technical assistance and training for the Government of Burma to develop and implement poultry and wild bird surveillance programs, strengthen laboratory capacity, and prepare and equip rapid response teams. To mitigate the spread of HIV/AIDS in the country and throughout Southeast Asia, USAID focuses on HIV/AIDS prevention activities for at-risk people, behavioral research, condom marketing, care and support of people living with HIV/AIDS, and coordination with complementary programs in neighboring countries. USAID is training health workers to treat multiple drug-resistant tuberculosis and prevent its spread. It is monitoring the quality of antimalarial drugs and the effectiveness of these drugs to ensure that parasites’ resistance to combination therapies does not spread.
Investing In People: Education
USAID supports education programs for Burmese IDPs, migrants, and refugees in Thailand, including a wide range of training for individuals and assistance to strengthen community-based organizations in most refugee camps along the Thailand-Burma border. It provides primary education, literacy instruction, and special education. Support for education also includes teacher training and technical assistance for Burmese community-based organizations, assistance to develop appropriate curricula, and advocacy for inclusive education. In addition, USAID supports a distance-education program for students in Burma who are denied education because of their political affiliations or backgrounds. USAID also supports teacher training for English teachers working through civil society organizations throughout Burma.
Governing Justly and Democratically
USAID supports activities that strengthen independent media and improve access to information and news about Burma. USAID also helps community-based organizations by training them to provide assistance to people in need.
Humanitarian Assistance: Migrant Rights In Thailand
USAID provides social services and commodities, such as rice and cooking oil, to Burmese migrants in eight provinces in Thailand, refugees in nine camps in Thailand, and IDPs in eastern Burma. USAID supports dialogue with the Government of Thailand and advocates for legal rights and services for Burmese migrants working in Thailand.
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