Tegucigalpa, Honduras, September 11, 2023 — As reports of increasing numbers of asylum seekers arriving in Honduras from the Darien Gap continue, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) warns that humanitarian needs exacerbate.
Meg Galas, Director for Northern Central America at the IRC said:
“Our team has been monitoring and responding in areas where displaced people are arriving, and the situation is extremely concerning. There is very limited access to sanitation services, and women and girls have reported needing assistance with items like clothing and sanitary pads. Safety is also a major concern for migrants and displaced people, as Honduras continues to experience high levels of crime and violence. Honduras remains one of the most dangerous countries in the region. This puts people on the move at a higher risk for robberies, extortions and violence.
“Central America, including Honduras, has experienced a continuous humanitarian crisis. The Honduras Humanitarian Response Plan identifies the need for sufficient funding to respond to the urgent needs of both Honduran families who have survived violence and displacement, and refugees and people on the move, to foster long-term solutions to address the root causes of migration. As our countries become, not just places of origin for displaced people, but also of transit for those fleeing from all over the world, we call on the international community to step up and grant the funding and support necessary to respond.”
There have been reports of over 55,000 people arriving in Honduras during August, mainly from countries such as Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti, Ecuador and Colombia. The IRC is responding in the Danlí municipality–which concentrates most of the mixed displacements at the moment–providing case management services to survivors of gender-based violence, people at risk of forced displacement, asylum seekers, refugees and people who have been returned.
The IRC has been delivering humanitarian aid in northern Central America since 2017. Among other programs, the IRC currently has a response for people who are transiting through the migration corridor in Guatemala, focused on delivering protection services to those who have been internally displaced, those who are heading north in search of safety, and those who have been returned.