The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported on Wednesday that over 30,000 child migrants crossed the notably hazardous Darién Gap that spans the Panama-Colombia border within the first four months of this year. This alarming figure signifies a 40 percent increase from the same period a year ago.
Close to 2,000 of these child migrants traversed the perilous Darién Gap without their families. UNICEF estimates that about 160,000 children and teenagers will cross the region this year, many of whom will undeniably require the provision of vital humanitarian aid.
UNICEF Deputy Executive Director, Ted Chaiban, emphasized not only the perils child migrants face crossing the Darién Gap but also reiterated the necessity for adequate funding to provide them with the necessary humanitarian assistance. He stated:
“The Darién Gap is no place for children. Many children have died on this arduous, dangerous journey. Women have given birth while en route, bringing new life into the world in the most challenging of circumstances. Many of those who survive the journey arrive sick, hungry, and dehydrated, often with wounds or infections and in desperate need of support … The dangers to children and their unmet needs are increasing as we speak. We need to continue to ensure that no child is left behind. If the response is underfunded, the reach will be limited.”
The Darién Gap is an approximately sixty-mile stretch of steep terrain, rampant rainforest, and swampland. Despite being recognized as one of the world’s most dangerous routes, a vast number of migrants feel obligated to cross the region due to the stringent conclusion of alternate routes by air and sea. In addition to the physical perils, migrants also run the risk of contracting diseases and facing abuse from gangs present in the area. The Darién Gap is also notorious for missing persons, with hundreds believed to have disappeared in the region.
UNICEF started its operation in the Darién Gap in 2018, where they launched protection schemes for children and gender-based violence services at hotspots along the migration route. The organization also extended its supports to ten host communities in the region.
Migration through Darién Gap has been a recurring issue. Earlier, on April 3, Human Rights Watch reported that both Panama and Colombia failed to defend the rights of hundreds of thousands of migrants and asylum seekers crossing the area. The report urged both governments to collaborate with humanitarian organizations and local communities to ensure the safeguarding of migrant and asylum seeker rights traversing the area. On September 8, 2023, Panama’s National Migration Institute director, Samira Gozaine, and Panamanian Security Minister, Juan Manuel Pino, mentioned their intentions of increasing deportations due to the rising flow of irregular migrants. While Panama has established reception centers to process migrants at the border, its resources are being dwindled due to the growing number of migrants.
Original Article: JURIST – News