Situational Brief on Latin America – EN

Central and South American countries have experienced an unprecedented flow of refugees and migrants with an estimated 5 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants and half a million from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras fleeing to neighbouring countries since 2015. Forced migration in these countries is associated with high levels of violence, ‘femicide’, political persecution, severe human rights violation and poverty. This situation raises important questions about crisis-stricken societies and calls upon governments in the region, as well as regional and multilateral organisations, to examine relevant policies to protect refugees and migrants. This is even more pressing in the context of COVID-19. COVID-19 is an era-defining challenge to inclusive global health governance.