The bishops of Central America say that the number of refugees traveling along the so-called road of death in Darien is increasing, and that this might reach a humanitarian crisis.
Monsignor Joji Vadakara, Vatican City
The bishops of Central America have expressed concern that thousands of people travel the so-called road of death in Darien every day, where many refugees from South America go to North America in search of better living conditions, and that this might lead to a humanitarian crisis.
The area known as the Darien Forest, which joins parts of the Panama Province of Panama and the northern regions of the Choco Province of Colombia, is a swamp between forests, rivers, and mountains. Illegal immigrants from South America, especially from Venezuela, pass through this route.
The Fidesz agency reported that the illegal immigration currently taking place in the Uraba and Darien regions is creating a humanitarian crisis, the president of the apartheid diocese of Colombia, Bishop Hugo Alberto Torres Marin, said.
Bishop Thores Marin said that between 1800 and 2110 people pass through these areas every day, and related to this, begging, theft, sexual exploitation and human trafficking are more common. He informed that the activities and projects currently being carried out by the government and various organizations are not enough to support the refugee immigrants and common people and urgent measures are needed to solve this.
In the first months of 2021, less than 3,000 people passed through it, but this time it tripled to 2,222. Around 8456 people have passed through it in the first months of 2022. About 1400 of them are children.