Two U.N. agencies warned that migrant crossings through the treacherous Darien Gap, a dense jungle corridor between Colombia and Panama, could surge to 400,000 this year, a significant increase from the estimated 250,000 in 2022.

In just the first few months of 2023, nearly 100,000 people have already made the crossing, a sixfold increase compared to the same period last year. This trend suggests a rising number of migrants attempting to reach the United States via Central America and Mexico.

Labeling it as "an unprecedented movement through the Americas," the U.S. has pledged to aid Colombian and Panamanian forces in dismantling smuggling rings operating within the Darien Gap.

This remote region, notorious for its dangers, has been the site of numerous reports of sexual assaults, robberies, and killings, in addition to the natural threats posed by venomous snakes and rushing rivers.

The U.S., Panama, and Colombia recently announced an ambitious 60-day campaign to close the Darien Gap route, with U.S. forces assisting in targeting smugglers and locating "stash houses" where migrants are held.

The campaign, part of a broader effort to prepare for the end of pandemic-era asylum restrictions at the U.S. border, faces significant challenges due to the same factors that make the crossing so hazardous for migrants.

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