"Unprecedented Surge: Migrant Children Fleeing Latin America and Caribbean, UN Reports"

The United Nations has warned that a record number of migrant children are moving through Latin America and the Caribbean, driven by factors such as gang violence, poverty, instability, and climate change. In the first seven months of 2023, over 60,000 children crossed the treacherous Darien Gap, a major migration route connecting South and Central America. Younger children, under 11 years old, accounted for up to 91% of all children moving through key transit points in the region. The UNICEF director for Latin America and the Caribbean called for a stronger humanitarian response and the expansion of safe migration pathways to protect the rights and futures of these children.