ReliefWeb

KEY FIGURES

19K MINORS CROSSED THE DARIEN GAP BETWEEN JANUARY AND SEPTEMBER 2021

PANAMA: MIGRANTS & REFUGEES

According to UNICEF, the number of minors who crossed the dangerous Darien Gap hit a record high between January and September, with around 19,000 minors making the treacherous journey through the jungle that straddles the Panama-Colombia border. This figure is three times more than the number registered over the five previous years combined. At least one in five migrants crossing the Darien jungle are children, half of which are under the age of 5. UNICEF reports that five children have been found dead so far in 2021, while another 150, including newborns, have arrived in Panama without their parents. Children arriving at the Migration Reception Stations in Panama often suffer from gastrointestinal illnesses and respiratory ailments, and girls and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse and violence while on the move, with 29 complaints of sexual abuse filed between January and September.

KEY FIGURES

3K HOMES DAMAGED IN THE STATES OF SINALOA AND DURANGO

MEXICO: HURRICANE PAMELA

On 13 October, Hurricane Pamela made landfall on the Pacific coast of Mexico, north of Mazatlán in the state of Sinaloa, as a powerful category 1 storm before rapidly weakening over the state of Durango. While preliminary assessments are still ongoing, civil protection authorities report moderate impacts in affected states. So far, no deaths or injuries have been reported.

Based on preliminary assessments, 19 municipalities across 5 departments have been affected. In Durango and Sinaloa, the hardest hit states, more than 3,000 homes were damaged by the passage of Pamela, with nearly 96 per cent of those homes located in Sinaloa.

KEY FIGURES

42% INCREASE IN DENGUE CASES COMPARED TO SAME PERIOD IN 2020

PERU: DENGUE

As of epidemiological week 30, the National Center for Epidemiology, Prevention and Control of Diseases (CDC) of the Ministry of Health (MINSA) reports a more than 42 per cent increase in dengue cases compared to the same period in 2020, leading the Government to declare a health emergency in 15 regions. The departments of Piura, Ica, San Martín, Loreto, Huánuco, Junín, Ucayali, Cajamarca, Amazonas and Madre de Dios have been hardest hit, accounting for 82.2 per cent of cases nationwide. In some of these departments, there are significant indigenous populations, raising concerns as these communities have limited access to adequate health and water and sanitation services, factors that considerably increase risk amid the ongoing outbreak. In response, the Government has allocated approximately US$3.9 million to tackle the problem, planning epidemiological surveillance activities, diagnosis and treatment for dengue as well as communication campaigns.