McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — A nonprofit organization is supplying migrants with health care and last-minute supplies before they embark on crossing the dangerous Darién Gap jungle starting in Colombia.
Medical Teams International, a global health and humanitarian organization, says it has opened a supply store on a wharf off the coastal town of Turbo, Colombia, which uses electronic vouchers to help migrants stock up before they try to traverse the Darién Gap.
Turbo is one of the last towns before the expansive Darién Gap and is located about 10 miles across the waterway from land where many asylum-seekers disembark boats to begin a foot trek across the vast jungle lands that span northern Colombia and Panama.
Migrants heading north ride arrive to Lajas Blancas, Darien province, Panama, Friday, Oct. 6, 2023, after walking across the Darien Gap from Colombia. (AP Photo/Arnulfo Franco)
Migrants can receive health care and health education, mental counseling, as well as hygiene and necessary supplies for women and children.
“Our commitment to breaking barriers to health is critically needed, especially as the number of migrants in transit continues to grow and health systems in Colombia continue to be stretched to accommodate the needs of hundreds of thousands of people,” said Steve Cooke, Medical Teams country director in Colombia. “The next year will be critical as the humanitarian situation continues to evolve in Colombia and the lives of tens of thousands are put at risk through dangerous journeys. We are committed to providing needed services and supplies, as well as strengthening the local health system.”
Ecuadorian migrants walk along a track on the Darien Gap from Colombia into Panama hoping to reach the U.S., on Oct. 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Medical Teams says on its website that it has assisted 55,000 people in Colombia and distributed over 19,000 hygiene vouchers. The nonprofit says it has over 200 healthcare workers helping with their global efforts in Colombia, where many Venezuelans cross through hoping to make it north to the United States.
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Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.
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