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IOM Vision
IOM will address the immediate humanitarian and protection needs of people on the move through the implementation of context-specific, collaborative and comprehensive multi-sectoral responses in targeted locations. By strengthening international cooperation to address the root causes and drivers of irregular migration and expanding access to regular migration pathways, the safety, dignity, well-being and human rights of migrants and other people on the move will be restored.
Context analysis
More than 500,000 individuals have crossed the perilous Darien jungle from Colombia into Panama in 2023 alone (Servicio Nacional de Migracion). As a comparison, 10 years ago, only 3,000 irregular migrants were registered crossing the Darien during the entirety of 2013. This phenomenon mirrors the migration trends observed in the Central American region and in Guatemala, with increasing numbers of nationals from Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba and Ecuador transiting through the country, heading primarily towards North America. Distressingly, a significant number of female-headed households traveling with children have been recorded, indicating substantial and heightened exposure to protection risks, particularly gender-based violence.
According to IOM’s latest Migration Trends in the Americas Report, predominant drivers of this irregular migration include economic hardship, high levels of insecurity and family reunification. Many of these triggers have been intensified by the socioeconomic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, recent extreme weather events and political unrest in countries of origin.
This unprecedented scale of movements is evident at the country level, most especially in the main border towns of Esquipulas (entry point from Honduras) and Tecun Uman (exit point to Mexico). IOM and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) data reveal a close to 200 per cent increase in arrivals through Esquipulas, Guatemala in August and September 2023, compared to the initial months of the year (IOM 2023). Between April and September 2023, more than 100,000 migrants were recorded, with a worrying number of women and children in very vulnerable situations. Approximately 70 per cent of the surveyed women are travelling with children, and nearly 40 per cent reported experiences of violence and extortion during their migration journey (IOM’s DTM, Guatemala, Round 4, July 2023). The majority, lacking resources to continue, find themselves stranded in various transit locations, facing increased protection risks due, in part, to limited access to safe shelter options.
Individuals transiting through Central America face numerous challenges. Many of those who survive the trek through the Darien gap in Colombia continue their journey physically injured and emotionally scarred, only to find themselves vulnerable to robbery, extortion, violence and sexual abuse throughout the rest of their journey. As they arrive in Guatemala, families are often financially depleted and do not have the resources to continue their journey. In addition to temporary shelter needs, migrants in transit locations have emphasized limited access to other basic goods and services such as food, water, and non-food items (NFIs), as well as access to health care, safe and clean water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities. Limited connectivity and the lack of reliable information on their rights and the services that are available to them increase their exposure to fraud, theft and other protection concerns.
There is an urgent need to restore the dignity and promote the rights, well-being, and safety of thousands of people on the move, many of whom, especially female-headed households and children, require specialized protection services, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), as well as safe water and dignity/hygiene kits with an emphasis on menstrual health, medical and nutrition services.
Finally, Guatemala is considered at high risk of disasters, due to its geophysical conditions, population density and poverty levels. In particular, the 2023 El Nino phenomena is currently affecting Guatemala and is forecast to persist until May 2024 at least. Humanitarian impacts are already becoming apparent in Guatemala, particularly in the “dry corridor” where previous vulnerabilities are high and response capacities limited.