About 3.5 million children from Latin America and the Caribbean may face migration next year, with the figure reaching the highest record ever, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned. The assessment takes into account those children on the move as well as those living in host countries.
The range of migration
According to UNICEF estimates for 2022, the number of children facing migration in Latin America and the Caribbean will be 47% more than that in 2021.
“Never before has Latin America and the Caribbean seen so many children – often very young – migrating with their parents,” highlighted Jean Gough, UNICEF’s Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean.
In recent years, Latin America has seen an influx of migrants coming from three locations in particular – Venezuela, Central America (mainly Honduras and Guatemala), and Haiti. According to UNICEF, so far a record high number of about 30,000 children have crossed the border between Colombia and Panama in the Darien jungle this year heading to the US.
Causes of migration boost
The surge of migrating children stems from a combination of various factors – extreme weather events driven by climate change, natural disasters, violence, school closures, and the economic turmoil caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“Families carry their young children, sometimes babies, for thousands of kilometres, crossing almost the entire continent, in search of a better life. For over a year, COVID-19 and strict lockdowns dragged them further into poverty and left them with no other option but to migrate. Some children are on their own during the journey,” said Jean Gough.
He also pointed out that not only is the number of migrating children within the region unprecedented but also its extent as it concerns virtually the entire continent. The increasing levels of migration from Haiti have been provoked by an earthquake that affected the country in August 2021 but even before this event, children had been impacted by extremely harsh living conditions fueled by violence and political and social hardship. Venezuela has been struggling with economic turmoil and extreme poverty for years while Central America has been hit by violence and corruption as well as poverty which has worsened due to extreme weather events.
Humanitarian aid needed urgently
As the number of child migrants is on the rise and the whole region is affected by increasing levels of hunger and poverty (about 60 million people struggle to get enough food), UNICEF is seeking additional resources to meet humanitarian needs. It has appealed for US$750 million as it estimates that over 20 million children in Latin America and the Caribbean will need humanitarian assistance next year.
Furthermore, UNICEF estimates that about 1.2 million from migrant families approaching the US from Central America and Mexico as well as children from hosting families will also be in need of assistance as well as an additional 2 million children from Venezuelan families migrating around the region and those in host communities in neighboring countries.
