Almost 50,000 migrants arrived in Panama through the Darién jungle so far in 2022

Panama lives the biggest social protests in decades for three weeks due to rising prices of food, fuel, medicine and other vital supplies. The protesters carry out blockades of highways and avenues, causing the disruption of transportation, garbage collection and the food supply chain, among many other basic activities.

Meanwhile, the flow of migrants through the Darien jungle is increasing and has reached an average of 500 people a day since last May, warned a status report released this Thursday by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Data from the National Immigration Service of Panama indicate that so far in 2022 48,430 people have entered the country through the dangerous migratory route of the Darién Jungle. Of these, 7,283, or 15%, are children and adolescents.

The disaggregated figures show that the 58% of migrants are Venezuelan7.9% Haitian and 5.2% Cuban, although there are people from 50 countries.

Abuses during the voyage

UNICEF highlighted the difficulties migrants face in crossing the jungle, where it is also common to physical and sexual violence, and assaultamong other abuses.

By the end of the year the transit is projected of at least 160,000 people along the Darién route, including some 32,000 children and adolescents, and some 500 pregnant women.

“Despite the territorial control actions of the State, it is expected that acts of assault and sexual violence will continue to occur on the jungle route,” warns the UNICEF report.

The agency reported that Some 6,500 migrants have been affected by the national strike and they are stranded in migratory reception stations, whose capacity has been severely exceeded.

Given the uncertainty about the reopening of the roads and the saturation of these stations, some people and families of migrants have decided to continue on foot your route towards Panama City, abandoning the controlled flow maintained by the State.

For its part, the local population has shown solidarity with them, offering them drinks and some food.

UNICEF / William Urdaneta

Romeu Mauricio and his three-year-old son, Jetfro cross the Darién, which divides Colombia and Panama

humanitarian corridor

On July 16, with more than 4,600 migrants stranded, the authorities responsible for managing the migratory flow opted for negotiate with the leaders of the various blockade points to establish a humanitarian corridor and prevent buses from being attacked.

The negotiation has allowed more than 4,268 migrants to move safely to the border with Costa Rica. His transfer took an average of 36 to 48 hours, when the regular time for this journey is twelve hours.

UNICEF staff in the Darién and its partners report the shortage of food, gas, gasoline, cashas well as interruptions in the energy, telephone and water service for the population, which is added to the indefinite closure of schools and roads.

For the migrant population in reception stations and host communities, the strike has affected water treatment plants due to power outages and lack of fuel, and the supply of hygiene kits has been depleted. In addition, he has imposed restrictions on access to latrines and there is no energy to contact the relatives of the migrants, who cannot receive the money orders to pay for their passage through the humanitarian corridor.

© IOM/Gema Cortes

Senegalese migrant after crossing the Darien jungle in Panama.

Trinational coordination

In order to alleviate the precariousness faced by people in transit, UNICEF has called for the establishment of operational coordination mechanisms between Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica that allow reporting on the situation of the strike and the effects on the migratory flow, so that the population that plans to begin the transit through the Darién knows the limitations and that the countries of Central America are prepared for a tripled flow once the strike is lifted.

Given the seriousness of the situation, UNICEF emphasized that the collapse of health, justice and child protection services is predicted, among others, due to the lack of access of public employees to their workplaces and basic supplies.

“The migrant population will continue to enter the jungle despite information on the national strike in Panama and mobility restrictions. The Central American countries may have waves of migrants that would collapse local services during their transit once there are negotiations in Panama and the migratory flow is reactivated, “said the UN agency.