Every day, hundreds of migrants arrive in Costa Rica after crossing the Darién Gap, a jungle that divides Colombia and Panama. Along the way, they suffer the impact of nature’s hostility, security risks, and other dangers on one of the most dangerous land routes in the world, particularly that of sexual violence against this population.

For this reason, since mid-April we began an intervention to facilitate access to medical and psychological care services for migrant survivors of sexual violence. In the facilities of the Estación Migratoria del Sur (EMI Sur), we work with our local partner Cadena and in coordination with health authorities and other actors through awareness-raising, active identification of cases and provision of comprehensive assistance.

During the first days, activities focused on comprehensive care for survivors of sexual violence. All organizations present in EMI South have been trained on recruitment of cases of sexual violence, agreeing on its immediate implementation in all their processes.

“The idea is that medical, nursing, psychology and social work personnel reinforce strategies aimed at the active recruitment of cases—within the medical office or in strategic spaces such as the wound healing room—through specific dialogues with key questions,” explains Carlos Estrella, MSF project coordinator in Costa Rica.

The suspension of our activities in the Darien is seriously impacting the medical and humanitarian care received by migrants, especially those who have survived sexual violence during their journey.