Author: Médecins Sans Frontières .com
The Darien Pass is a 60-mile (97-kilometer) stretch of treacherous jungle separating Panama and Colombia, and the only place where the 48,000-kilometer Pan-American Highway runs through the American continent. In this jungle, adventurous migrants not only have to overcome the difficulties of crossing the rainforest, but are often intercepted by violent criminal gangs, looted and attacked by thugs. Women have also been targeted by mobs, facing intimidation and rape. Dr. Helmer Charris joined Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) for 11 years, working in Panama from December 2021 to the end of March 2022. Here's what he saw:
When I arrived in Panama in December 2021, the situation was different. The previous year saw a record number of migrants, and the number of people crossing the Darien Pass fell sharply. There are no more patients at the health centre in Bajo Chiquito. Since the number of patients has been decreasing since November, we decided to downsize msf team.
Migration routes have also changed, and now people are no longer going to the town of Nizhny Chiquito, but further north to Canán Membrillo. The new route appears to be safer, with no record of violence and a three-day shorter journey than in the past. The routes of the past were indeed dangerous, with people having to cross mountains, cliffs and rivers prone to sudden flooding. The difficult roads have significantly affected the physical condition and medical needs of migrants, which have now been significantly reduced.
However, the situation changed again in February 2022. We have focused our efforts on the immigration reception stations in Lajas Blancas and San Vicente, especially the latter, as Lajas Blancas is closing for repairs. Migrants gather there as soon as they cross the jungle and continue north for Costa Rica a few days later.
In February, those who arrived said they had been waiting in the jungle for a long time and had been subjected to attacks or extremely brutal sexual violence. We have a problem that must be addressed, which is that it takes so long for women who have been violated to travel from Canammenbrero to San Vicente, so that we have not been able to provide them with the precautions they need after being violated. These precautions must be provided within 72 hours of sexual assault to prevent infection and unwanted pregnancies.
The nationalities of immigrants are also different compared to 2021. Previously, Haitians were the largest group of immigrants, but Venezuelans now make up more than half of the total number of immigrants. Many migrants have lived in Colombia or Peru and have long planned to move north. There are many families among immigrants, and this situation is still the same, but it is less than in the past. There are still migrant families from Africa, from Cameroon, the Congo and Senegal.
Since February, there have been a number of incidents of violence, including sexual violence. Although it may seem premature, we have found some cases that are repeated from time to time, such as migrants who arrive saying they have been robbed, women who say they have been raped, often African or Haitian women, and more Venezuelan women who say they have been subjected to extreme cruelty. These acts have humiliating intentions, even almost revenge, seriously affect their physical and mental health, and cause heavy mental torture.
We plan to assess the situation in Canammenbrero, but we have not yet been authorized by the health department to work locally. We are particularly concerned about women who have been sexually assaulted and who do not have access to the preventive measures, diagnosis and psychological treatment they need in a timely manner. From April 2021 to March 2022, we treated a total of 396 women who experienced sexual violence, compared to 68 year-to-date. The need for protection remains high, and the Darien Pass is as dangerous as ever.
The patient told us that although the route was now taken by Canammenbriro, the guide was taking them around in a circle. Some say they were taken to the Mountain of the Dead (Loma de la Muerte), a place notorious for its harsh environment. This is a must-see place to get to the town of Chiquito, but if you're heading to Canammenbriro, you don't have to go through it. Since the guide charges by the way, the cost of the detour increases from $300 per person to $900 per person.
There have been no major changes in the physical impact of migrants, but we are finding that more and more people need mental health support. We provide an average of 1500 medical consultations per month, of which 150 are related to mental health. Many of them are subjected to violence along the way, with more than half experiencing acute stress, including patients who have lost their families due to accidents, dehydration or separation. We found at immigration stations that immigrants here feel safer and more able to ask for advice than in Lower Chiquito. Migrants in Lower Chiquito have one last leg of the road to continue on their journey.
In addition to brutality and sexual violence, news of people being killed halfway through can have a huge impact. I met a 17-year-old Angolan man who was separated from his family: some of his family had arrived at the Costa Rican border, his father was in Canammenbriro, one brother had drowned in the river, and two other brothers had died, either from dehydration or starvation, because everything on their bodies had been stolen. These stories do affect the mood of the team while reflecting what is essential to our work. Whether or not migrants pass through the Darien Pass, we implore all parties to provide protection and establish safe routes.
© MSF/Sara de la Rubia
The Turquesa River flows through the village of Nizhny Chiquito in Panama. It was one of the first places to live on the Panamanian side of the Darien Pass, which connects the North and South American continents between Panama and Colombia. Migrants migrating north had to travel in the jungle for several days. They either walk to the village of Nizhny Chiquito or take a canoe ride (if affordable) during the last leg of the trip.
© MSF/Sara de la Rubia
Despite the great dangers, by 2021, the Darien Pass has become a thoroughfare for thousands of migrants of different nationalities. Mostly Haitian migrants from Brazil, Chile and Peru who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic and decided to move north. In addition, there are many immigrants from Cuba and Venezuela.
© MSF/Sara de la Rubia
In the town of Lower Chiquito, MSF works with local health authorities to provide medical services to local communities and migrants. Most of the illnesses seen by healthcare workers are the result of days of walking in the tropical jungle, including severe foot injuries, insect bites, wounds and trauma from falls or bumps, dehydration, low temperatures, malnutrition, and diarrhea and vomiting from drinking river water. Some families will bring children and pregnant women to try to cross the pass.
© MSF/Sara de la Rubia
A group of migrants left the town of Nizhny Chiquito in canoes to the migrant transfer station, leaving to celebrate their departure from the Darien Pass. However, many people are unaware that their stay at the Panamanian reception center can be long. Once they left Panama, they would face a 5,000-kilometer journey through Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico before reaching their final destination, the United States.
© Santiago Valenzuela/MSF
Some migrant shelters do not have a floor suitable for human habitation and therefore seep water. Still, migrants have to sleep on the ground.