Dear Delegates,

 

On March 25th, 2018, 700 refugees began making their way out of Honduras towards the United States, growing to an estimated 8,000 individuals split amongst two caravans. This mass migration is the outcome of decades of political instability and wealth inequality across Latin America. In South America, the Venezuelan migration crisis continues to develop and destabilize Central and South America. This crisis has generated over 4 million Venezuelan refugees that have fled into neighboring countries such as Colombia, Peru, and Suriname. Due to poor border management, many of these refugees are able to move in between countries without documentation, leaving them extremely vulnerable to human trafficking and other dangers.

 

Starvation is another key factor that is affecting the refugee population, and many are unable to receive the needed resources and proper medical attention once they arrive to aid camps. A situation where dead bodies are being found on the side of highways and children are dying of malnutrition and exposure requires immediate global attention. Delegates will need to work towards a resolution that ensures proper processing and documentation at vulnerable borders, as well as the humanitarian aid needed to properly care for the refugees.  

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Your Chair,

Sydney Winter