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The south-eastern border of Honduras is experiencing a significant increase in mixed movement flows in 2024. This has led to a critical need for heightened monitoring and humanitarian response to ensure adequate reception conditions and support people in need of international protection.
Refugees and migrants are exposed to heightened protection risks, including violence, extorsion, tracking, lack of access to basic services such as shelter, food, water, mental and physical health, and specialized services for gender-based violence survivors, persons with disabilities and LGBTIQ+ persons. UNHCR’s coordinated response eort is focused on mitigating these risks by providing essential services and support to people on the move through Honduras.
The situation at the south-eastern border is expected to require ongoing adjustments to address the dynamic and changing nature of mixed movements. Key future eorts include enhancing protection measures and scaling up humanitarian assistance.
Context
UNHCR has a field unit in Choluteca created to cover the southeastern border of Honduras, including the departments of Valle, which borders El Salvador, and Choluteca and El Paraíso, which border Nicaragua. UNHCR monitors regular entries of Nicaraguans under transit and tourism modalities as well as irregular entry points for people in mixed movements seeking protection in Honduras or transiting northwards.
On average, 11,000 people enter through these points every week, with most coming through Danli and Trojes, according to UNHCR's monitoring. Some of these individuals require international protection. Similarly, border communities need support to identify and mitigate risks associated with border dynamics, such as the presence of human smuggling and tracking networks, criminal groups and others. Furthermore, these regions have a population at risk of displacement or who are internally displaced due to violence and require protection, as well as communities aected by the impact of climate change.