In the first four months of 2024, more than 30,000 children traversed the dense jungle region separating Colombia and Panama, marking a significant increase compared to the same period last year. Among them, about 2,000 were unaccompanied or separated from their families. Additionally, the number of children in transit grew five-times faster than the number…
That figure is more than double the crossings made in all of 2022. Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, underscored the scale of the crisis. “The challenges that the unprecedented population movements in the Americas pose are formidable…no country on its own is equipped to address them,” he said. “Only by coming together with…
Migrants come ashore from the Chucunaque River after crossing the Darién jungle. A rising number of migrants are attempting the dangerous journey across the Darién jungle spanning the Colombia-Panama border. For Etzaida Rios, 35, the impact of providing hope and help runs deep. She works as a Community Officer with the International Organization for Migration…
So far this year, more than 330,000 people have crossed the Darien Gap on their journey towards North America – the highest annual figure recorded to date, OHCHR said. One in five was a child. Risk of sexual violence During the crossing, migrants and refugees are exposed to multiple human rights violations and abuses, including…
Crossing the Darién jungle – on the border between Colombia and Panama – and its infamous and so-called Darién Gap, is an arduous undertaking, involving hikes over steep mountains, enduring torrential rain and fording swift rivers. Those on the move are also at risk of robbery and rape. The dangerous journey speaks of not only…
