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Rapid Response Fund Payment Request No. 11/2014
Funds Sent To: Comisión de Acción Social Menonita (CASM)
Amount Sent: 60,000 USD
Date: 30 July 2014
Details of Response
Emergency: Mass deportation of migrant children to Honduras
Date of Emergency: 18 July 2014
ACT Requesting Member(s): Comisión de Acción Social Menonita (CASM)
I. NARRATIVE SUMMARY
DETAILS OF THE EMERGENCY
According to information provided within the framework of the International Conference on Childhood and Family that took place on July 2011, the number of unaccompanied migrant children from Central America looking to enter the United States was 4,059. This number increased to 21,537 in 2013 and to 47,017 to date in 2014.
Of the 47,017 unaccompanied children, 29% (13,635) are Honduran. According to the Honduran First Lady’s Office, 240 Honduran family units are leaving the country every day. The migration of children, adolescents and adults is related to multiple factors, such as family reunification, poverty and extreme poverty, violence, lack of safety, organised crime, and lack of opportunities, labour exploitation, sexual abuse and human trafficking. More recently increased insecurity and high levels of violence involving young people and children aged 7-14 has led to high levels of forced migration in younger age groups, from Honduras to Mexico and the United States, many of them unaccompanied.
The massive deportation of children, adolescents and their families from the United States expected in the following days has caused a humanitarian emergency that will impact the affected people and their families. Upon their arrival all will need temporary shelter, food, water, medicines, psychosocial support and money to get to their home villages and towns.
The Honduran government expects to receive 14,800 people in total (including family units, unaccompanied children and adolescents who are in custody) from the United States and another 15,000 people coming from Mexico by land. The magnitude of this massive deportation exceeds the country’s response capacity, and this is why a call for help has been made to international humanitarian agencies to ensure an adequate response to the emergency, guaranteeing the rights of the children, adolescents and their families.
ACTIONS TO DATE, AND EMERGENCY NEEDS
Within this context the Honduran government has declared an emergency. The Honduran government, through COPECO (Civil Protection), has installed a shelter in San Pedro Sula for the returning migrants. The Humanitarian Network of Honduras and the United Nations have joined this effort through OCHA, which has already performed some actions for the installation of the shelters and training on their management. There are not enough resources for the operation of these shelters. Therefore the SINAGER (Sistema Nacional de Riesgo /National Risk System) has issued a request for international assistance to support the emergency response actions designed to provide adequate conditions for returned migrants, addressing their needs, including psychosocial support, in the coming weeks and months.
The ACT Honduras Forum, as member of SINAGER, has participated in coordination meetings with the Humanitarian Network of Honduras. The forum has performed visits to the shelters installed in San Pedro Sula and has participated in the International Conference on Migration of Children and Family, which took place on 16-17 July 2014 in Tegucigalpa.
The need to provide support with food, medicines, hygiene kits and psychosocial care was identified through the needs assessment undertaken by COPECO. The government does not have the capacity to provide timely and integrated care during this emergency due to the high number of affected people who require support and accompaniment. The ACT forum members will contribute by providing a coordinated quality response based on rights, and in accordance with international humanitarian standards.
PROPOSED EMERGENCY RESPONSE
OVERALL GOAL:
Provide humanitarian assistance to 1,000 returning migrant children and adolescents during their reception and stay in the temporary shelters that meet international humanitarian standards.
OBJECTIVE(S) OF THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE:
O1: To provide humanitarian assistance in the form of food provision, healthcare actions and sanitation and hygiene promotion for 1,000 returning children and adolescents.
O2: To provide protection and security to returning children and adolescents in accordance with international humanitarian principles and standards.
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