San Jose, Nov 6 (EFE).– Humanitarian needs and risks are on the rise for migrants from various regions worldwide who are crossing Central America en route to the United States. This migratory flow has quadrupled over the past five years and demands specialized attention.
Addressing Root Causes of Migration
“The root causes of all this human mobility are not being addressed. Many countries are pushing people out due to political problems like those in Venezuela, but there’s also hunger, extreme inequality, and armed conflict. So, there are many underlying issues, and if we don’t address them, this will continue to be the reality,” said Laura González of Oxfam.
Oxfam, with funding from the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO), is working with partner organizations in Central America to enhance humanitarian aid capacities for migrants and promote food security in the region.
Rising Migrant Flows and Humanitarian Needs
Last year alone, around 500,000 migrants crossed the border between Panama and Costa Rica, according to official data. Oxfam noted that the increased time it takes migrants to cross Central America has amplified humanitarian needs and protection risks.
In response, Oxfam has established the Forced and Irregular Migration Observatory, which has gathered information at 35 border points in Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador, supported by local organizations.
Additionally, 27 Response Groups comprising 438 people have been formed, and 24 humanitarian response plans have been implemented, assisting 261,346 migrants in transit.
Local Efforts in Migrant Assistance
The Paso Canoas Humanitarian Response Network, along with the Jesuit Service for Migrants, assists migrants in Paso Canoas, a Costa Rican town bordering Panama. Migrants often lack protection upon entering Costa Rica and face challenges continuing their journey.
Lucy Nájera, an activist with the local organization, told EFE that she and seven others have provided support, food, shelter, and advice to migrants to protect their well-being and ensure their human rights are respected upon arrival in Costa Rica.
Protecting Vulnerable Migrant Groups
Recent migratory flows increasingly include children and adolescents, a group at even higher risk along a migration route fraught with danger.
One urgent need is for international cooperation agencies and Central American governments to make policy decisions and allocate resources to address the pressing humanitarian crisis faced by hundreds of thousands of migrants.
Roy Arias of the Jesuit Service emphasized to EFE that Latin American governments must adopt a human rights-focused approach to migrant care, as the current approach prioritizes security, involving police forces.
Diverse Migration and Growing Risks
Arias noted that, alongside large flows of Venezuelan, Cuban, and Haitian migrants, people from a total of 96 nationalities, including Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, have been detected in recent years. This also presents cultural and language challenges in providing care.
These individuals are fleeing the impacts of the climate crisis, poverty, violence, and other socio-economic and political factors. Along their journey, they risk falling into the hands of organized crime through human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and drug trafficking, as well as facing threats to their lives, violence, and sexual assaults.
In recent months, there has also been an increase in migrants returning after failing to reach the United States, attempting to go back to their home countries using the same route, posing yet another significant challenge in addressing this issue.
Addressing Causes of Migration and Food Insecurity
Another area of Oxfam and ECHO’s work is addressing the causes of migration, such as food insecurity, a problem exacerbated in Central America by the El Niño effect, food price inflation, and a lack of social protection programs from governments.
In the region, the initiative provides unconditional cash transfers, child nutrition monitoring, and community capacity-building and leadership support. EFE
EFE has Oxfam’s support in preparing this report.