*The US embassy in Panama has announced a donation worth over US$500,000 of tents, mosquito nets, and other equipment to support Panamanian authorities in their humanitarian response to migrants and local communities affected in the Darién Gap, a roadless expanse of jungle on Panama’s border with Colombia which serves as a key corridor for migrants seeking to reach the US. The issue of humanitarian aid for migrants in the area recently made headlines amid a public clash between the Panamanian government led by President Laurentino Cortizo and international NGO Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). On 4 March the government ordered MSF to stop all medical activities for migrants, citing the lack of “a collaboration agreement in force” with Panama’s health ministry. However, MSF stated that it “has been trying in vain to obtain such a renewal since October 2023”. The move by the government followed an MSF report released last month criticising a sharp rise in sexual violence against migrants seeking to cross the perilous jungle. It reported treating 120 victims of sexual violence in January and 113 in one week of February alone after reporting 676 cases in all of 2023. MSF urged Panamanian authorities to “immediately strengthen measures to protect migrants”.
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