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Haitian migrants search for opportunity in Mexico

Countries: Mexico, Haiti Source: Médecins Sans Frontières Haitian migrants search for opportunity in MexicoWithout safe routes, many migrants are choosing to travel in groups for safety in their search for work and dignity. Kate Rankin May 26 2026, 11:50am For years, the city of Tapachula, Mexico, was a transit point for people traveling north to seek refuge in the United States. Since January 2025, the Trump administration’s restrictive immigration policies, on top of regional pressure to curb migration, have transformed Mexico into a country of containment. Migrants cannot work formally or access basic services. Even movement is a challenge, as migrants face lengthy bureaucratic processes just to obtain documents allowing them to move legally throughout Mexico. Teams with Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) are operating mobile clinics to assist migrants within Mexico, and are providing general and mental health care. In the absence of safe migration routes, many migrants are choosing to travel in groups for safety, often on foot, in their search for work and dignity within the country. Below, Derly Sánchez Arias, MSF coordinator in Tapachula, explains why migrants are taking this risk, despite the dangers and challenges they face. By Derly Sánchez Arias, MSF coordinator in Tapachula On the night of April 20, 2026, after hours of rain, nearly 1,000 people left Tapachula on foot and began walking along the coastal highway. They carried only the essentials: water, some food, and their few belongings. They were not marching as a political strategy or to provoke authorities. They were walking because staying was no longer an option. After more than 25 days on the road, they aim to reach Mexico City or another city that might offer them the possibility of work and a dignified life. One of the roots of this movement lies in Haiti, where a humanitarian crisis, armed violence, institutional collapse, and the deterioration of the health care system have made daily life unviable. This is not only about political instability: It is a humanitarian crisis in which entire families flee not only poverty, but also violence in which people — especially women and girls — are used as a territory of war. Above all, they seek protection and a small chance at a sustainable future. Lemeus, en route from Tapachula to Mexico City “I went several days without eating just to pay rent” I left my home in search of better conditions. I arrived in Tapachula and faced the same challenges: finding work and a place to sleep. During my stay, I went several days without eating just to pay rent. It was hunger that ultimately pushed me to join the caravan. What I want is to reach Mexico City, but the walk, the sun, the headaches, and the blisters on my feet are just some of the obstacles that make the journey harder. Every time I woke up and couldn’t do anything, I felt stressed. Now, at least when I walk, I do so with a purpose: to achieve my plans and build a better life. A city that is both a gateway and place of containment Upon arriving in Mexico, that expectation meets a new barrier: Tapachula. The city functions as a blockade; It is a gateway but, at the same time, a point of containment where time seems to stand still. Without timely access to documents such as the Clave Única de Registro de Población (CURP) — an official identification number essential for working, accessing services, and legal status in Mexico — thousands of people remain trapped in informal shelters, with no real opportunity to rebuild their lives. Since the beginning of 2025, MSF mobile clinics have assisted more than 1,400 people from seven caravans. Ninety-five percent of patients were older than 15, and 66 percent were women. Djosymar, from Haiti “Hope is what keeps me going” I’ve been in Tapachula since December last year and I couldn’t find work. I’m a migrant — I don’t have a CURP — and that makes it harder to obtain documents and a job. I like this place, but I had no choice but to leave to try to build a better life somewhere else in Mexico. The hardest part of the journey is the sun. The route is long, and both the weather and the exhaustion make everything more difficult. So do the chafing and the burst blisters on our feet — everything becomes extremely tough. Hope is what keeps me going — hope, and the desire to help my grandmother, to take care of her. She still lives in Haiti. For me, she is everything; she is my motivation. Forced stays in Tapachula are causing physical and mental harm In Tapachula, between 20,000 and 50,000 people remain waiting, according to estimates from local NGOs. In consultations, MSF teams have heard recurring stories: Women, men, and children who have fled violence only to encounter new forms of vulnerability and violence in Mexico. The impacts are not only physical; mental health consequences are also present. Many people have chronic illnesses that have gone months without treatment. People are living in overcrowded conditions, often without reliable access to food or safe drinking water, while many children remain out of school and struggle to survive on the streets. Walking under scorching sun with open blisters is not a choice or a strategy. It is a response to stagnation. As they move forward, the caravan exposes the limits of a response that has failed to resolve the situation. Continuing to interpret caravans as a threat is to miss the essential point: They are the result of contexts that push people out, and of journeys marked by waiting, uncertainty, and a lack of viable alternatives. They are like an open wound unable to heal — the result of violence that forces people to flee, and then follows them during transit and at borders, in rejections of asylum, and the general indifference to their plight. To see them as a threat is to deny the dignity of those who, even while in pain, keep walking with the hope of finding a place to start again and live without fear. Malaika, a mother of two from Haiti “Going back is not an option” “I fled my country because of insecurity and arrived in Mexico with my two children in November 2025. After not receiving any response, my only option was to join the caravan. I was forced to take the risk and head north in search of work. The most difficult part is walking. My feet can still keep going, but they hurt. Going back is not an option — we don’t want to return to where we came from or relive those hardships: lack of jobs, violence, and undignified living conditions. For those of us already here, the only alternative is to rely on our own strength and keep our spirits up. Mexico 2026 © Ángel Rodríguez/MSF We speak out. Get updates.

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DR Congo: A New Ebola Variant Declared in Ituri Threatens Children’s Lives

Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo Source: World Vision Ituri Province is home to more than 900,000 internally displaced people. Thousands of children are exposed to a high risk of infection. The newly identified Ebola variant does not match any previously known strain and currently has no vaccine available. Kinshasa, 18 May 2026 – The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has declared a new Ebola outbreak in the health zones of Bunia, Mongwalu, and Rwampara in Ituri Province. The initial toll, considered alarming, reports 246 suspected cases and 80 deaths, including 4 confirmed positive cases. This new outbreak comes amid an already fragile humanitarian situation marked by massive population displacement, persistent insecurity, and limited access to basic healthcare services. Children are among the groups most exposed to this health threat. ***“Our main concern is for children, who are the most vulnerable in a region already heavily affected by conflict and where humanitarian assistance remains insufficient due to a lack of resources. Drawing on our experience and working alongside all stakeholders, we are taking appropriate measures to limit the spread of this outbreak and save lives, particularly through hygiene promotion, with a special focus on areas hosting increasing numbers of internally displaced people. World Vision is working closely with health authorities to respond to this new disease,”***said Philippe Guiton, National Director of World Vision DRC. David Munkley, East zone Director, also stressed the urgency of a rapid response: ***“Ituri is already facing an alarming situation of acute malnutrition, which further weakens people’s immune systems, combined with extremely limited access to healthcare in remote areas. A rapid and coordinated response will help save lives and reach the greatest number of affected people,”***he said. While expressing its sympathy to families grieving as a result of this outbreak, World Vision RDC reaffirms its commitment to supporting the response alongside health authorities and humanitarian partners, particularly in the areas of child protection, prevention through the promotion of good hygiene practices, and infection prevention and control. World Vision has a long history of responding to Ebola outbreaks, not only in DR Congo but also in Uganda, Sierra Leone, and West Africa. During the 2018–2019 outbreak in eastern DRC, World Vision trained faith leaders and motorbike riders to deliver life-saving messages to remote communities. The Channels of Hope approach helped counter misinformation and stigma, building trust and resilience at the grassroots level. World Vision also contributed to the recent response to the Ebola outbreak in Bulape in Kasai by providing support to more than 200,000 children and patients, which enabled it to respond immediately to the outbreak, which was declared over in December 2025. As the situation in Ituri evolves, World Vision is calling for: Urgent funding for frontline response: We urge donors to release emergency funds to support health workers, community mobilisation, and protective equipment in Ituri and neighbouring provinces and countries. Strengthened regional coordination: We call on humanitarian actors and the DRC Government to enhance cross-border surveillance and preparedness, especially in high-risk zones. END Notes to Editor: For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact: -Philippe Guiton, National Director, Philippe_Guiton@wvi.org, +243970053733 -David Munkley, East Zone Director, David_Munkley@wvi.org, +243974053351 -Dr Philippe Ngenda, Health & Nutrition Specialist, Philippe_Ngenda@wvi.org, +243991008490 -Patrick Abega, Communications & PE Manager, Patrick_Abega@wvi.org, +243993692903 For more information, visit: www.wvi.org/congo

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