Latin America and the Caribbean

In Latin America and the Caribbean, millions of children and their families have left their schools, friends and communities across the region through a myriad of migratory flows. They are fleeing violence, poverty, the collapse of essential services, xenophobia or the consequences of climate change. Traveling the migration routes often entails…, BRAZIL, A health assistant examines a baby When Venezuelan María Audaly, 43, left her homeland, she never thought she would end up working again in emergency situations in the country that would become her new home. In Brazil, she is one of the health assistants responsible for ensuring the recovery of Yanomami, Ike’uana and Sanumã children suffering from…, COLOMBIA, Luis Eduardo Ríos, Protection Officer of UNICEF Colombia's Migration Area. Luis Eduardo Ríos, Protection Officer of UNICEF Colombia's Migration Area. "The first thing we work on is to explain to a child that he or she is not to blame for the migratory situation he or she is going through, and for not having a home to live in. That principle shapes…, Juan David Rincón (13) and Dairilys Maurera (16) are two of the thousands of adolescent migrants that Lucho serves in his role as a UNICEF officer. Both were born in Venezuela and in 2019 migrated to Colombia., UNICEF/UNI463231/Estrada Juan David y Dairilys participan con sus compañeros en una batucada Juan David y Dairilys participan con sus compañeros en una batucada, Juan David Rincón (13) and Dairilys Maurera (16) are two of the thousands of adolescent migrants that Lucho serves in his role as a UNICEF officer. Both were born in Venezuela and in 2019 migrated to Colombia., UNICEF/UNI463226/Estrada Los jóvenes Juan David y Dairilys están de píe posando para la foto Juan David y Dairilys participan con sus compañeros en una batucada Colombia hosts the largest number of refugees and migrants from Venezuela: almost three million, according to figures updated as of August 2023 by the Interagency Coordination Platform for…, GUYANA, Shona Jones, Migration Manager at Blossom Inc, a UNICEF implementing partner in Guyana. Shona Jones, Migration Manager at Blossom Inc, a UNICEF implementing partner in Guyana. Thanks to their knowledge of the local context and their integration into the community, UNICEF's partners carry out a fundamental part of the humanitarian work throughout…, HONDURAS, Óscar Madariaga, Protection Specialist at ChildFund Honduras. Óscar Madariaga, Protection Specialist at ChildFund Honduras. After several days of travel, and after crossing Panama and Nicaragua, many children and adolescents carry the psychological wounds of their journey through the jungle and on the roads. In Honduras, UNICEF is a member of the…, PANAMA, "The biggest challenge is to have the emotional intelligence not to break down the moment a child tells you what happened in the jungle. Our job sometimes is listening to them, absorbing the burden they bring and handling it later on.”   Jhon Tovar Barrera, Environmental engineer, specialist in water, sanitation and hygiene. Environmental engineer…, PERU, "In the faces of the children and adolescents that arrive in Peru, we see how courageous they are to leave everything behind and start a new life. That makes us work with a humanitarian approach that is part of a great comprehensive work that goes beyond. We care about the lives of each one of them, especially those who travel alone. It is a…

Juan David Rincón (13) raises his hand and waves from a distance. Behind him walks his “batucada” (street band) companions with snare drums and drums. From the opposite side, Dairilys Maurera (16) smiles and walks towards them confidently. She is accompanied by a group of teenagers with whom she composes songs about their feelings as Venezuelan…

Carla migrated from Venezuela to Guyana fleeing the economic crisis in her country. Upon arriving at her new destination she faced multiple risks, including abuse and gender -based violence. Now, thanks to the support of UNICEF and its partners, she has a new opportunity to build a better future for her child.     Carla and her son Miguel 1 play…

The story of Rubén Rodríguez is that of thousands of Venezuelan boys, girls, and teenagers who have had to migrate without guarantees about their right to education. The damage seems irreversible. The timely intervention of UNICEF and the commitment of the States, however, will make it possible for Rubén to fulfill his dream: to finish school and…

The heat is humid and intense, misty. The noise is deafening: dozens of trucks and trailers keep their engines running. Some drivers desperately go for the klaxons because they have been trying to pass immigration control at the El Cinchado border pass between Guatemala and Honduras for hours, but transit is slow, very slow. On the side, entire…

Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are historically prone to natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, landslides, and droughts. Children and adolescents are the most at risk from natural hazards, as it severely threatens their access to health, nutrition, education, and protection. From January to September 2022 more than 3.8…

The ‘Guardians for Life’ movement was founded by 12-year-old Colombian child activist Francisco Vera Manzanares and comprised children and adolescents from different countries in Latin America. Created to promote environmental awareness, encourage new leadership, not only in climate and environmental issues, but also in diverse topics, and…

Haiti. A boy stands outside his damaged home. 11-year-old Widler stands outside his badly damaged home following the August earthquake “I don't remember how long the earthquake lasted. The earth began to shake, and everything fell apart,” says 11-year-old Widler. “I was helping my father to make a fire when we felt the earth shake and our house…

A child protects himself from the heavy rain with a plastic chair A child protects himself from the heavy rain with a plastic chair where his house used to be, after it was destroyed by the strong winds, swells and rains brought by Hurricane Iota in Nicaragua, in Bilwi, on November 17, 2020. For the very first time since UNICEF has been working in…

Manifesto, The planet is giving emergency signals It's time to respond. // We think the new normal is to recuperate the environment To ensure the future we want. //  But things won't get better on their own. // Everyone has a role. // Because the way out of the ecological crisis is collectively. // And there is hope in the movement we want to create. // The…, Activists, Samela satere Amism Sateré Mawé “For my people the climate fight is a question of survival” Samela Sateré-Mawé 24 years old Brazil     DANTE VERGARA “Without a healthy environment, all our rights are affected”  Dante Vergara 12 years old Chile   Wendy Ahumedo “We need this generation to create environmental awareness”  Wendy Ahumedo 19 years old…

Somos Enlace (meaning ‘We are bond’ in English) is a community-based communication strategy, born to join and inform Colombia during the pandemic. With a strong participation of community organizations and alternative media, the strategy seeks to strengthen their capacities so that they can, from their perspective and within their communities,…

Gender-based violence may be physical, psychological or sexual violence perpetrated against someone because of being woman, girl, adolescent or an LGBTI person. Family violence is any type of abuse by a family member against another. Gender-based violence and family violence may constitute a greater danger, particularly for girls, adolescent girls…, #endviolence