Highlights
• Latin America and the Caribbean continue to grapple with significant challenges as the world's second most disaster-prone region. The aftermath of disasters in 2023 affected 10.8 million people, including 3.6 million children, highlighting the region's vulnerability. Hurricane Otis in Mexico and the El Niño phenomenon caused substantial disruptions in the lives of thousands of children, exacerbating existing issues such as poverty, inequality, and violence.
• The surge in migration in 2023 strained resources and services, particularly for vulnerable populations. Multidimensional poverty, political instability, and limited humanitarian access further hindered crisis response efforts. The ongoing El Niño phenomenon has exacerbated food insecurity and malnutrition across some of the most vulnerable areas in the region.
• In response to these challenges, UNICEF intensified efforts to enhance emergency preparedness and response capacities at both regional and country levels, leveraging its network of local partners. UNICEF demonstrated agility in adapting and responding to sudden emergencies, whether triggered by natural events or emerging from social unrest, in collaboration with authorities, local partners, and communities.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
With 190 million people impacted by disasters from 2000 to 2022, Latin America and the Caribbean stand as the world's second most disaster-prone region. Three out of every ten individuals in the region have directly felt the effects of disasters within their communities.i Throughout January to December 2023, a staggering 10.8 million people, including 3.6 million children, grappled with the aftermath of disasters across 19 countries in the region.ii Particularly concerning were the repercussions of Hurricane Otis in Mexico, affecting nearly 1 million peopleiii and causing unprecedented economic losses. Additionally, the cumulative damages and losses from the El Niño phenomenon in various parts of Central and South America have been profound.
Beyond natural hazards and climate change impacts, a myriad of risks converge, requiring bolstered preparedness, response, and resilience capacities in country. The year 2023 witnessed a substantial surge in migration and displacement through South and Central America, overwhelming countries' capacities as hundreds of thousands of vulnerable families and children traversed borders or moved within their nations due to poverty, inequality, violence (including gender-based violence - GBV), climate-related shocks, and limited access to essential services like nutrition, health, water, sanitation, protection, and education.
An estimated 32 million people grapple with multidimensional poverty in the region,iv rendering them highly susceptible to new shocks, even minor ones. Women and children increasingly face risks in countries dealing with socioeconomic and political instability, constrained humanitarian access (with 15 countries reporting access challenges),v and state fragility,vi hindering effective crisis response by governments and partners.
In 2024, immediate impacts are anticipated due to the El Niño phenomenon, including drought in Central America and parts of South America, alongside heavy rains in the Southern region disrupting agricultural activities and food production. This scenario heightens food insecurity and malnutrition levels, particularly affecting children in areas already facing food and water scarcity. The region continues to witness more frequent storms, allowing affected communities less time to recover between events. Moreover, small island and developing states in the Caribbean brace for tropical cyclones in 2024, posing challenges to food security, income access, basic services, and living conditions for millions of children.