More than 28,000 refugee children living in camps along the Thai-Myanmar border are returning to school, even as deep cuts to food aid threaten their daily lives.
Save the Children, an international humanitarian group, has spoken with teachers, parents, and children in Mae La camp—the oldest and largest of the nine camps in the region. Families say they are receiving less food now because of reduced support from aid organisations. These groups used to provide digital cards topped up each month so families could buy food. But those amounts have dropped.
The Border Consortium, a group of aid agencies that supplies food and essentials to the camps, said the cuts will affect more than 80% of camp residents. They blame falling donations, inflation, and growing needs for the reductions.
Despite the crisis, classrooms are reopening for thousands of children. Still, there are growing concerns over future funding for essential services. More than 100,000 refugees live in the nine camps. Most of them are in crowded, wooden homes scattered across hilly, muddy terrain near the Thailand-Myanmar border.
Many of the residents have lived in these camps for decades—some since the 1980s. They are not legally allowed to work in Thailand and depend heavily on aid.
Tida*, a student born in Mae La, said food shortages have become severe in recent weeks.
“There hasn’t been enough food over the past month,” she said. “The food we get has decreased. I used to bring food to school and eat it with my friends. We normally eat rice and chicken. There used to be more chicken.”
Cherry*, 8, is preparing for her first day of school with her mother, Su*, 33. They were seen walking through the narrow, muddy roads of the camp to buy school supplies. But Su* is worried about the future.
“With the food allowance cuts, we need to find more work,” she said. “We have many children in our family. My sister is selling vegetables to earn more. I’m very worried.”
Save the Children and its local partners support education in the camps by training teachers, providing school materials, and paying the salaries of around 800 teachers. They also help repair schools and develop learning programs.
The organisation is urging international donors not to forget the refugee children. They are calling for new funding sources and commitments to support both education and livelihoods in the camps.
“Education is not a luxury—it’s a basic right,” said Guillaume Rachou, Executive Director of Save the Children Thailand. “Education gives children hope and a foundation when they’ve lost everything else. Families talk about food shortages, but they also fear the schools closing. The two issues are deeply connected. Children need to feed both their bodies and their minds.”
Save the Children has worked in Thailand since 1979. The organisation focuses on helping children facing discrimination and inequality through programs in education, child protection, family income support, and child rights.
