A. SITUATION ANALYSIS
Description of the disaster
The American continent is culturally diverse, geographically large and socially and economically complex. The total number of migrants worldwide according to the United Nations is 258 million (2017), and around 26 per cent of the world’s migrants (68 million people) are in the Americas. Disasters, crises, social exclusion, armed conflict and other situations of violence in countries of origin are the main causes of migration in the Americas region. Within the Americas region, inter-regional migration has been increasing in the Latin American and Caribbean region due to different factors such as political, economic, violence and social changes; migration between countries in this sub-region and the Americas in general is a growing challenge that affects the continuity of health care provision and the management of communicable diseases through immunization programs, treatment and education on prevention. Migrant populations and internally displaced persons significantly impact their communities of origin and their host communities.
The current situation in South America is triggering an influx of migrants into countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and Peru. This large-scale migration flow in South America is demonstrated by a significant increase of migrants in the sub-continent, a 900 per cent increase from 2015 to 2017. Moreover, as many migrants are not using official border crossings, it is likely that the actual numbers are higher . Official figures from UNHCR indicate that more than 300,000 migrants are currently sheltering in Peru, with increasing numbers of migrants entering the country from Ecuador daily. UNHCR reports that 80,000 migrants are seeking asylum in Peru alone, more than 340,000 migrants have entered Ecuador, almost 100,000 migrants are seeking refuge in Caribbean island nations and around 50,000 migrants have entered in Brazil in 2018 alone.
The migratory flow through Colombia has been steadily increasing over the past few years, and the ColombianVenezuelan border has been experiencing an increased mixed migratory flow of people since 2017 that use Colombia as a transit zone, temporary shelter or a supply point.
The effect of the population movement crisis is broad, complex and not restricted to issues of nationality. All groups of people in need face different types and levels of vulnerability, which mainly includes access to essential services such as basic health care and sanitation facilities. Other groups have had their livelihoods diminished or destroyed and require external support to restart them. Almost all migrants at some point require access to food and clean water and in some cases, special supplements for children at risk or suffering from malnutrition.
Factors affecting migrants’ vulnerabilities along migratory routes are numerous: family separation, impoverishment and socio-economic hardship, unsafe journeys through hostile environments, especially increasing xenophobia and the criminalization of migrants. Gender and other indicators of diversity (e.g., age and disability) play a crucial role, exacerbating these vulnerabilities in many cases. Additionally, there have been reports of increased tensions between host communities and migrants.