Five million Haitians, nearly half the population, are struggling to feed themselves, according to a new report from the World Food Program. Facing violence, hunger, and chaos, Haitians leave their country. In Venezuela, violence and poverty have caused 8 million people to displace. Families across Central America, especially Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, cite poverty, violence and food insecurity as the reasons they leave their homes. Weapons illegally trafficked out of the United States arm gangs and cartels who terrorize local communities and transiting migrants. And According to UNICEF, 4.1 million children will need humanitarian assistance in Mexico and Central America in 2024.
If we were in the shoes of the millions upon millions of people across the Western Hemisphere facing this situation, wouldn't we also seek a better life for our kids?
Most migrants do not end up at the US border. Many end up internally displaced, or they seek refuge in neighboring countries, many of which also suffer from gang violence and limited economic opportunity. This humanitarian crisis is not going away any time soon. "Violence, insecurity, fragile institutions, the impact of climate change and deep-rooted inequalities will force more people to flee, either within their own countries or across borders," according to the United Nations.
The journey is treacherous and expensive. The Quixote Center has documented the violence migrants experience when passing through Panama's Darien Gap. Migrants report that Mexico is just as perilous, with gangs and cartels targeting them for theft and sexual assault. Many never reach their destination; many that do emerge are traumatized for life.
The migration tragedy is the thread that weaves all of Quixote Center's work together. Our economic development programs in Haiti and Nicaragua address poverty, food insecurity, and lack of economic opportunity. In the US we have focused our advocacy to end the illegal trafficking of weapons and ammunition from our own country to the cartels inflicting violence in Haiti, Mexico, and across the hemisphere. Our partnership with the Franciscan Network on Migration supports providing a safe, humane and dignified welcome to migrants journeying north, with an emphasis on Panama and Mexico.