WORLD VISION EXTENDS CARE TO MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES IN PANAMA

• Between January and May 2023, more than 166,000 people crossed the Darien jungle, a five-fold increase from the number of migrants recorded in the same period in 2022, according to the Panamanian government.
• Between January and April 2023, 25,431 accompanied and unaccompanied children and adolescents crossed the Panamanian jungle. The presence of unaccompanied children is increasing.
•  The initiative will be the largest humanitarian intervention in Panamanian territory. It will provide food assistance, hygiene kits, and baby kits at the north and south borders.

Panama, June 22, 2023.- Faced with the extremely high risk of death, illness, injury, and abuse that thousands of migrants face in their journey through the Darien Gap, the natural border between Colombia and Panama, World Vision, a global humanitarian and development organization, and Start Network began the "Migration Response Panama", to provide humanitarian assistance to people in mobility, especially those travelling with children.

Between January and May 2023, more than 166,000 people crossed the Darien jungle, one of the most dangerous migration routes in the world due to its difficult geography, harsh climate, wild animals, and the presence of criminal groups. The number is five times the number of migrants who crossed in 2022 and UNICEF estimated that 25,431 children crossed this illegal pass; eight times more than in the same period in 2022.

"It is essential that refugees and migrants receive assistance on their journey. Their vulnerability worsens due to the lack of resources, the difficulties of the journey, and the dangers they face," said Peter Gape, Director of the multi-country migration response - Esperanza sin Fronteras, from World Vision, which reaches eight countries: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela, Chile and now Panama.

Of those crossing Darien, 49% are Venezuelan nationals, 19% are Haitian, 12% are Ecuadorian, 4% are Chinese, 1% are Colombian, and the remaining 15% are other nationalities, according to IOM. The conditions for migrants are extreme between May and November, during the rainy season: rivers overflow, floods are constant, and they cause deaths, serious injuries, and tropical diseases among walkers.

"The high number of unaccompanied girls, boys, and adolescents is worrying. Protection systems face major technical and financial challenges to meet the high demand and adapt to the needs of children. It is urgent that states, international cooperation, and civil society organizations develop effective actions to ensure compliance with the rights of girls and boys," said Sara Lara, Advocacy Advisor for Esperanza sin Fronteras at World Vision.

For its operation in Panama, World Vision trained partners from churches and local communities working with migrant populations through workshops on the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS), Sphere Handbook, and Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Emergencies, for a better approach to refugees and migrants in vulnerable situations. Beneficiaries receive hygiene kits, energy bars, baby kits, and anatomical plastic shoes. Deliveries are made in Darien and Chiriqui (southern and northern borders of Panama, respectively), becoming the largest humanitarian assistance operation in the country.

With this initiative, the largest in Panamanian territory, World Vision reaffirms its commitment to serving the most vulnerable people. The goal is to generate better opportunities for socio-economic integration for migrant families and host populations. The "Migration Response Panama" operation reinforces World Vision's position in global humanitarian assistance, showing its commitment to helping the most vulnerable children and adolescents.

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Editor's Notes:

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Gabriela Becerra, Communications Manager, World Vision, Venezuela Crisis Response; Email: gabriela_becerra@wvi.org; Cell: + 593-979-107-920.