IOM / AMERICAS MIGRANTS SURGE

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The International Organization for Migration appealed for governments in Central America and Mexico to collaborate to address the immediate humanitarian needs of people on the move as unprecedented numbers of vulnerable migrants transit through the region while also working on long-term solutions to tackle the drivers of migration. IOM
Description

STORY: IOM / AMERICAS MIGRANTS SURGE
TRT: 02:11
SOURCE: IOM
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: NATS

DATELINE: SEPTEMBER 2023, EL PARAÍSO DEPARTMENT, HONDURAS

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Shotlist

1. Various shots, streets, National Migration Institute of Honduras’s sign
2. Various shots, El Paraíso border control point sign, welcome sing
3. Pan right, IOM officer, Danli sign
4. Various shots, migrants walking, Danli sign, IOM officers talking with migrants
5. Various shots, IOM officers, buses, migrants, identification center

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Storyline

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) appealed for governments in Central America and Mexico to collaborate to address the immediate humanitarian needs of people on the move as unprecedented numbers of vulnerable migrants transit through the region while also working on long-term solutions to tackle the drivers of migration.

According to Michele Klein Solomon, IOM Regional Director for Central America, North America, and the Caribbean, the situation underscores the urgent need for the immediate collective involvement of governments from origin, transit, and destination countries to provide humanitarian assistance, especially to vulnerable groups like women and children.

Panama’s National Migration Service has reported a record number of migrants crossing the perilous Darien jungle from Colombia this year.

As of 23 September, over 390,000 individuals have braved the treacherous route; 82,000 migrants crossed in August alone, the highest monthly figure ever recorded.

Most of the migrants come from Venezuela, Ecuador, and Haiti.

Beyond the sheer increase in the numbers of people making the trip, the most significant trend has been the shift by Cuban migrants and those coming from African nations who are increasingly choosing air routes to reach Central America, sidestepping the Darien to continue their northbound trip.

Only 4,100 migrants from Africa crossed the Darien between January and July 2023, a 65 percent decrease from the same period in 2022; Honduras, by contrast, saw a staggering 553 percent increase in arrivals from African nations to 19,412 people through its southern border.

Similarly, only 524 Cubans were reported in Darien during this period, in contrast to the 17,157 recorded arriving by land in Honduras.

People transiting Central America and Mexico face numerous challenges.

The trek through the Darien jungle leaves many injured, sometimes abandoned on muddy slopes, swept away by sudden river floodings, and vulnerable to robbery, violence, and sexual abuse.

In countries along the route, financially depleted families are hungry, sleeping in the streets, and forced to beg.

Many experience health issues like diarrhea and dehydration.

IOM monitors movements throughout Colombia, Central America, and Mexico and supplies life-saving information and assistance. IOM provides hygiene items, food, protection services, and health care.

The Organization also assists with voluntary return operations, infrastructure, and shelter support and carries out communication campaigns to counter false information and alert migrants about the dangers associated with irregular migration.

Despite the efforts of transit nations, UN agencies, and humanitarian organizations, the capacity to offer life-saving aid is stretched thin.

Migration drivers are complex, ranging from economic and social factors to environmental and political challenges.

Many of these triggers have been intensified by the socioeconomic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, recent extreme weather events, and political unrest in countries of origin.

The anticipated El Niño climate phenomenon threatens to exacerbate conditions further, potentially spurring more people to move.

According to Marcelo Pisani, IOM’s Regional Director for South America, migration challenges are too vast for any nation in the Americas to tackle alone.

As mandated in the Global Compact on Migration, IOM advocates for a comprehensive, collaborative regional strategy and reaffirms its unwavering support for initiatives that uphold international humanitarian duties, sustainable development objectives, and the fundamental human rights of those on the move.

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25359
Production Date
Creator
IOM
Alternate Title
unifeed230927z
Subject Topical
MAMS Id
3098288
Parent Id
3098288