Attachments
Highlights
- According to official data, the number of people crossing the Darien Gap between January and November 2024 flow has decreased by 40% compared to 2023 to reach 297,354. This reduction is attributed to several factors, including changes of policies in countries of departure, transit, and arrival.
- Children and adolescents continue to make up 21% of the people on the move, including nearly 4,500 of them traveling unaccompanied or separated. A UNICEF-UNHCR survey estimates that 55% of the migration flow comprises families with children. The age of children is changing with 38% of them below the age of 5 (compared to 50% in previous years). Some 59% of unaccompanied or separated children are adolescents aged 13 to 17.
- The recent tropical storms that impacted Panama have heightened the risks of the journey through the Darien jungle, such as injuries, illnesses, and food shortage.
- In response to the ever-changing context in the region, UNICEF and its partners have initiated the preparation of contingency actions for 2025 and are including education in the response.
Situation in Numbers
297,354
Number of people in transit through the Darien gap between January and November 2024 (National Migration Services).
63,647
Number of children on the move through the Darien Jungle, January - November 2024 (National Migration Services)
4,476
Number of unaccompanied and/or separated children between January and November (Source: UNICEF records based on reports from local authorities).
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
Between January and November 2024, a total of 297,354 people crossed the the perilous Darien jungle, including 83,018 women (28%) and 63,647 children below the age of 18 (21%). Some 47% of these children are girls, 37% are 0-5 year old, 36% are 6 to 11 years old and 27% are adolescents aged 12 to 17 years.
Some 4,476 children were separated or unaccompanied (UASC), including 59% between the age of 13 and 17 years old. This represents a significant change compared to previous years where the majority of children (with or without families) were less than 5 years old.
While the primary countries of origin were Venezuela (69%), Colombia (6%), Ecuador (5%), China (4%), and Haiti (4%), more than 100 nationalities were represented in the migration flow across the Darien.
Under its policy of “Secure Route”, the Government of Panama is channeling the migration flow to arrive in the Indigenous Community of Bajo Chiquito and then to the Migration Station of Lajas Blancas, although several groups have been found in other spots in the jungle. The Migration Station of San Vicente has been transformed into a closed center for people awaiting deportations. Under the Memorandum of Understanding between Panama and the United States, deportations and expulsions of adults continued, with 26 charter flights to countries such as Colombia, Ecuador, India, Vietnam and China. So far, children and families have not been deported. In October, a new Decree fixed fines for checkpoint violations and irregular entry into the national territory, ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 per person. The implementation has not yet started.
Tropical storms in November had a devastating impact on Panama, particularly the Province of Darien and the Embera Wounaan Comarca (Indigenous Province), significantly worsening the dangers of the migratory journey. Upon arrival at the Migration Station, many people, especially families with children, were found to be hungry, exhausted, injured and ill. Life-saving services, including food, water, maternal and child healthcare, child protection, psychosocial support, and case management at hotspots were more needed than ever.