The US foreign aid freeze imposed by President Donald Trump will threaten human rights in Myanmar, Amnesty International warned on Thursday. The group warned that the freeze may result in the loss of countless lives and devastating consequences.

Following the foreign aid freeze and the stop-work order, Amnesty International observed that hospitals and refugee camps in Myanmar ceased operations abruptly. Joe Freeman, Myanmar researcher at Amnesty International, said:

By removing the ability of these organizations to protect some of the most vulnerable people inside Myanmar, the US is effectively giving the rights-abusing Myanmar military an invaluable gift in their crackdown on the right to freedom of expression and information.

President Trump issued an executive order last month seeking to reevaluate and realign US foreign development aid. The order stated that the current foreign aid industry and bureaucracy do not align with American interests.  Thus, “no further United States foreign assistance shall be disbursed in a manner that is not fully aligned with the foreign policy of the President of the United States.”

The president has placed a 90-day pause on all foreign development assistance programs and has issued Stop-Work orders for all existing foreign assistance awards. The suspension is intended to allow Trump administration to review and modify these programs if they deem necessary.

Although US Secretary of State Marco Rubio may waive the orders for “life-saving humanitarian assistance,” Amnesty International observed that health provider groups in Myanmar do not enjoy the waiver.

Relatedly, the Norwegian Refugee Council, an international non-governmental organization, had to suspend its US-funded humanitarian work due to the freeze on Tuesday. The group further noted that they did not enjoy the waiver despite providing essential services to refugees across 20 countries.

The effectiveness of the US foreign aid program is controversial. While the Foundation for Economic Education has doubted whether these programs could achieve long-lasting impact, the Alliance for Peacebuilding contends that US foreign assistance is crucial to prevent war and reduce violence even though it only accounted for less than one percent of the US budget.

In 2023, the US foreign aid obligations amounted to $68 billion, down from the previous year in which it had $76 billion. While there is broad support for a “thoughtful review of America’s foreign assistance programs,” the Better World Campaign organization urged Congress and the Trump administration to either halt the Stop-Work orders, or allow currently active programs under the UN, State Department, and USAID to continue during the review process.