Migrants cross the Darién forest of Panama. File photo.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reported that over 30,000 migrant children crossed the Darién forest, located on the border between Colombia and Panama, on their way northwards during the first four months of 2024.
The figure represents a 40% increase over the same period in 2023. If the trend continues, it would mean that 160,000 children and adolescents would make the dangerous crossing by the end of this year, making the total number of underage migrants crossing through the Darién Gap 34% higher than last year, when the number reached 113,000.
In its latest report published on Wednesday, May 15, UNICEF stated that child migration is now in its fifth consecutive year of record levels.
Ongoing crisis
The crossing of migrants through the Darién has become a protracted crisis, according to UNICEF, which estimates that 800,000 people will transit through the forest by the end of 2024 and that many of them will require emergency humanitarian aid.
UNICEF Deputy Director Ted Chaiban stated that many children have died during the dangerous journey, emphasizing that the Darién is not a place for children.
“Women have given birth whilst en route, bringing new life into the world in the most challenging of circumstances.,” said Ted Chaiban.
He added that numerous migrants who survive the journey arrive sick, hungry, dehydrated, often with injuries or infections, and in desperate need of support.
One-fifth of those who cross the Darién are children, and their numbers are growing five times faster than those of adults.
UNICEF reported that of the 30,000 children who had crossed as of April this year, 2,000 were alone or separated from their families. It warned that the number of unaccompanied child migrants has tripled compared to the same period in 2023.
Chaiban said that the stories of children and parents who have made the journey are “incredibly harrowing,” citing the case of Esmeria, an 11-year-old Venezuelan girl he met in the community of Bajo Chiquito.
The little girl was separated from her mother during the journey through the forest, where she had to cross swollen rivers, pass by injured and hungry people, and suffer the darkness of the night with fear. Esmeria was hungry after not eating for two days, she had been out of school for months, and was waiting for her mother to arrive soon so she could continue her journey.
“No child should have to live through or witness these things.,” Chaiban said, stressing that UNICEF’s presence and response are more important than ever.
“It is critical to have the necessary resources so that we can care for children, regardless of their country of origin or destination,” he said.
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UNICEF’s funding requests unanswered
In 2024, UNICEF requested $7.64 million to alleviate the urgent needs of the growing number of children and families in transit in Panama. So far, it has received barely 10% of those funds.
In this regard, the UNICEF deputy director emphasized the growing dangers and unmet needs of children, calling to ensure that none of them are left behind. “If the response is underfunded, our reach will be limited,” he stressed.
UNICEF’s work involves the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene at hotspots along the migrant route. It also offers child protection, child and maternal care, and assistance in cases of gender-based violence.
In addition, the agency supports 10 host communities that migrants pass through.
The UNICEF report explained that since 2018, it has been assisting children in the Darién region and Panama with its own resources, with some support from the United States and the European Union.
President-elect of Panama promises to close Darién migrant route
The president-elect of Panama, Raúl Mulino, has promised to put an end to the passage of migrants through the Darién region.
“We are going to close the Darién. We are going to repatriate all these people accordingly, respecting human rights,” Mulino said in mid-April, during his electoral campaign.
Earlier this week, he mentioned the subject again. During the delivery of credentials certifying him as president-elect, Mulino, who was minister of security in the outgoing government, reiterated his promise to limit border crossings through the forest.
(Al-Mayadeen) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/SF
