US aid cut to Myanmar 'unnecessary,' 'cruel’: UN special rapporteur

The UN's special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar called US aid cut to the region "unnecessary," "cruel" and "ill-timed."

"This is just a catastrophe that is unfolding. It's unnecessary and it's cruel," said Tom Andrews, adding that "it is unconscionable, it is outrageous and we need to take a stand."

The former US Democratic congressman said at a news conference Monday that one-third of the population now requires humanitarian assistance.

Andrews said he was told by people in the region that the aid was cut came "only days after being told by the very same agency that they have granted an exemption."

"There is a severe cost to this chaos, a cost that is not only being born by the people of Myanmar but by the region and beyond, deteriorating conditions in Myanmar and refugee camps will destabilize border regions and people crossing the Myanmar border," he said.

Andrews noted that refugees arriving from Rakhine State to Bangladesh are showing visible signs of severe malnourishment, including uncontrollable shaking.

The special rapporteur also stated that Myanmar has now become a global hotspot for drug-resistant tuberculosis.

Andrews said that while discussions about the aid programs could be had, this is "the worst possible way to go about this."

"It is politics in its worst form, and it's sacrificing human lives to make a bad political point, based upon fabrications and distortions," said Andrews.

He urged the UN Human Rights Council to "step up" about the issue.

The Myanmar military seized power in a 2021 coup, which has plunged the country into a fractious civil war.

More than 3.5 million citizens are currently displaced, and half of the population lives in poverty.