In the first four months of this year, more than 30,000 children have undertaken the perilous journey through the dense expanse of jungle known as the Darién Gap, stretching between Panama and Colombia. According to figures released by the United Nations’ children’s agency, Unicef, this marks a 40% increase compared to last year, with many of these minors striving to reach the United States.
Tragically, migrants navigating this jungle passage often fall prey to robbery, extortion, and sexual abuse at the hands of criminal gangs. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) documented 214 cases of sexual violence in the Darién jungle in December alone, with migrants recounting harrowing ordeals of being detained by armed individuals, stripped, and assaulted.
While the majority of sexual violence victims are women, MSF has also provided care to men and children who have suffered abuse. Unicef’s deputy executive director, Ted Chaiban, lamented that many children have perished during this hazardous journey.
With no roads traversing the Darién Gap, the journey on foot can span up to a week. Shockingly, Unicef reports that 2,000 of the more than 30,000 children who embarked on this journey in the first four months of 2024 did so unaccompanied.
Ted Chaiban emphasized that the Darién Gap is wholly unsuitable for children, while Unicef has stepped in to assist migrant children with essential services such as water, sanitation, hygiene, and healthcare. However, the organization stresses the urgent need for additional funds to address these critical needs.
The significant influx of migrants through the Darién Gap has become a pressing political concern in Panama. President-elect José Raúl Mulino, in his acceptance speech, vowed to “close” the route, declaring it as not merely a transit route but the country’s border. However, he did not specify the measures he plans to implement to block this passage.