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Latin America & The Caribbean Weekly Situation Update (29 August - 4 September) as of 5 September 2022

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+ 7
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OCHA
Date de publication

REGIONAL: HURRICANE SEASON

KEY FIGURES
70% CHANCE OF LA NIÑA PERSISTING THROUGH NOVEMBER 2022, LIKELY DRIVING INCREASED ATLANTIC STORM ACTIVITY

After getting off to a relatively slow start, the Atlantic hurricane season has kicked into high gear with backto-back named storms forming since 1 September. On that day, Tropical Storm Danielle became the first named storm to form in the Atlantic in nearly two months, followed by the formation of Tropical Storm Earl on 2 September, which is projected to become a major hurricane later this week as it passes near Bermuda.

On 2 September, Danielle strengthened into this year’s first Atlantic hurricane more than three weeks after the average date for the season’s first hurricane, which is 11 August. Danielle is expected to continue weakening as it moves further east into open waters, posing no immediate threat to land. This marks last month as the first August in 25 years, and only the third August since 1950, not to feature a single named storm in the Atlantic.

Meanwhile, in the Pacific, Hurricane Kay rapidly strengthened off the coast of Mexico on 5 September, prompting a tropical storm warning for the southern part of the Baja California Peninsula. On its forecasted track, Kay is expected to move almost parallel to the country’s Pacific coast as it continues to strengthen, potentially brushing the Baja Peninsula at hurricane strength later this week.

With the peak of the hurricane season just around the corner, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) projects a 70 per cent chance that the current La Niña climate condition will stick around through November of this year. This marks an almost unprecedented third consecutive year of La Niña’s impacts on global climate patterns, threatening to spur increased storm activity in the Atlantic in the coming months.

REGIONAL: MONKEYPOX OUTBREAK

KEY FIGURES
16% OF THE MORE THAN 50,000 CONFIRMED MONKEYPOX CASES WORLDWIDE REGISTERED IN LATIN AMERICA

While the number of monkeypox cases globally fell by more than 20 per cent last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports the highest transmission rates in the Americas region. According to WHO, insufficient awareness and public health measures combined with a lack of access to vaccines continue to prevent adequate control of the outbreak in Latin America, where official caseloads are highest in Brazil and Peru – two of the countries hardest hit by COVID-19 in the region.

Latin America has confirmed around 16 per cent of the more than 50,000 cases of monkeypox registered globally. The accelerating spread of the disease continues to raise concerns in a region still reeling from the impacts of COVID-19 and dengue outbreaks on already weak and under-funded health systems.

In late August, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reached an agreement with Denmark-based Bavarian Nordic A/S to facilitate access to the JYNNEOS (MVA-BN) monkeypox/ smallpox vaccine for Latin America and the Caribbean. These vaccines are expected to be made available to countries in the region that participate in PAHO’s Revolving Fund for Access to Vaccines starting this month.

REGIONAL: MIGRANTS & REFUGEES

KEY FIGURES

  • 1.8M DETAINED BY US BORDER CONTROL BETWEEN OCTOBER 2021 AND JULY 2022, SETTING A NEW RECORD
  • 84%+ OF THE 6.8 MILLION VENEZUELAN MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES LIVE IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

On 1 September, at least nine people were found dead in the Rio Grande River after dozens of migrants attempted to cross into the US from Mexico near Eagle Pass, Texas. The US National Weather Service says the level of the river rose from by around two feet over a few days and was f lowing five times faster than usual, creating deadly conditions for migrants attempting to cross the river. According to the US Customs and Border Protection, 37 people have been rescued and officials on both sides of the border continue to search for other possible victims.

While the nationalities of those encountered by authorities have not yet been released, around 6 out of every 10 migrants stopped by border officials in the Del Rio sector since July have been from Cuba, Nicaragua or Venezuela. The US Border Patrol’s Del Rio Sector, which includes Eagle Pass, is quickly becoming the busiest corridor for people hoping to reach the US via Mexico. Despite dangerous currents due to recent rainfall, Border Patrol officials say groups of 100 to 200 people attempt to cross the Rio Grande every day.

Displacement across borders continues to rebound to historic levels in the region. Between 1 October 2021 and 31 July 2022, US Border Patrol made a record-setting 1.8 million detentions at the south-west border, a figure that includes people who have made multiple attempts at crossing the border. Moreover, in August, the number of Venezuelan migrants and refugees hit a record high of 6.8 million, with more than 5.7 million – more than 84 per cent – of these migrants and refugees living in Latin America and the Caribbean.

After slowing amid the height of the pandemic, Venezuelan migration is on the rise once again, with around 753,000 people leaving the country since November 2021. According to a recent survey from a network of humanitarian partners, 48 per cent of Venezuelans report a lack of employment as the main reason for f leeing the country, while 40 per cent face difficulties accessing food and basic services.

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.