RegionalIOM Response Central America, North to America COVID-19 and the Caribbean IOM Central America, North America and the Caribbean

Ensuring vulnerable migrants are protected in every country’s broader COVID-19 response is a key goal for IOM’s Regional Migration Programs.

SUMMARY

In coordination with governments and the liaison structures activated by the System in each country, the actions carried out by IOM in Central America, North America and the Caribbean in response to the COVID-19 pandemic focus on the following categories:

• Information for the migrant population: IOM offices are disseminating information that contributes to the prevention of COVID-19 among the migrant population, following the guidelines of the respective national governments and in coordination with PAHO/WHO. • Strengthening of shelters: IOM is strengthening the capacity of shelters dedicated to housing vulnerable migrant populations. This has mainly consisted of the delivery of food, personal hygiene and cleaning kits for the facilities, furnishing (chairs, tables, fans, etc.) and creating or strengthening the capacities to isolate cases with suspected symptoms of COVID-19. • Delivery of direct aid to migrants: IOM offices in the region report the delivery of aid directly to the migrant population who are not housed in shelters. This aid has consisted of deliveries of kitchen, personal and household hygiene kits, and even cash-based interventions (CBI). • Assisted Voluntary Returns have been implemented from México to and , and from to the . • Some notable interventions include the intervention of border posts to turn them into safe Points of Entry (PoE) in Haiti, the safe transportation to their homes of returned migrants in Honduras, and the setup of a filter hotel in .

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PANAMA IOM co-leads the Interagency Group on Human Mobility with UNHCR, monitors the situation in Migrant Reception Stations (ERM) and issues weekly advocacy reports. It also supports the Ministry of Health’s promotion and prevention strategy, specifically to identify and refer cases of migrants with signs and symptoms of COVID-19 or with other health needs. IOM coordinates with NGOs working with the migrant and refugee population and organizations of the Venezuelan to provide humanitarian assistance and refer requests for support to the relevant government agencies. Strong efforts have been made to mobilize resources for the response. UNHCR and IOM have continued the campaign Somos lo mismo (We are the same), which promotes a message of integration between nationals and foreigners.

COSTA RICA In close coordination with the DGME and PAHO/WHO, a contingency plan has been prepared for the transit center for vulnerable migrants on the Nicaraguan border, including protocols for management, triage, hygiene, and isolation of possible COVID-19 cases among migrants. In addition, construction materials, two lighting towers, 12 solar lamps, 10 emergency lights, and 18 megaphones were donated to improve the facilities. IOM also delivered 1,300 N95 masks, while other personal protective equipment (PPE) and hygiene and cleaning materials are in the process of being purchased. IOM also provided support for the design and publication of information campaigns on the COVID-19 pandemic for the migrant population. In addition, the Municipal Centers for Migrants in Upala and Desamparados continue to perform attention and reference of cases via telephone.

NICARAGUA IOM has assisted Nicaraguans that have returned to the country or who are stranded in other countries in the region. Local partner organizations have been provided with hygiene and health equipment for their own protection, as well as hygiene kits and food packages to provide to local migrant populations in need. Hygiene and health products have also been delivered to the Ministry of Education for the prevention of COVID-19 in schools. In addition, computer and health equipment have been delivered to the Ministry of Family, Adolescence, and Childhood to strengthen Line 133, which is dedicated to the preventing and addressing gender-based violence and human trafficking. Humanitarian assistance kits have been delivered to the Guatemalan, Honduran, and Salvadorian embassies in Nicaragua to provide to their nationals in the country.

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EL SALVADOR IOM El Salvador is leading the Humanitarian Country Team’s shelter committee, providing technical assistance for the proper management of quarantine centres for returning migrants. It has also provided N95 masks, gallons of alcohol gel, boxes of gloves, face shields, disposable gowns, and disposable caps for the staff leading these centres. It has also contributed to the equipment and adaptation of shelters and quarantine centres for migrants and has assisted foreign migrants and returnees by providing them with vouchers for food purchases in supermarkets, hygiene kits, snack kits and clothing. Our main partners in the emergency response have been USAID, the Peacebuilding Fund, the Salvadoran Foundation for Health and Human Development and the Department of State.

HONDURAS IOM Honduras has provided supplies and technical assistance to the Government, to strengthen its capacities to prevent infection and protect the health of migrants. IOM donated to COPECO, the government entity leading the emergency response, more than 2,000 personal assistance kits (hygiene and food), more than 147,000 biosecurity supplies (masks, gloves, etc.) and coordinated infrastructure improvements and water and sanitation systems at the Temporary Isolation Centers (TICs) in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, where returning migrants must spend 14 days in quarantine before returning to their communities of origin. In coordination with USAID, IOM was responsible for the logistics of purchasing and transporting from extraction kits and reagents that will enable 15,000 PCR tests for COVID-19.

GUATEMALA IOM Guatemala coordinated with the Risk Management Unit of the Ministry of Health to implement reception and dignified observation processes for returned migrants. Donations of accommodation, hygiene and prevention items and masks amounting to USD $17,000 have been made for the use of personnel in charge of the reception process for returned migrants and for unaccompanied migrant children and adolescents. Information materials (banners, leaflets, brochures) were handed to the Guatemalan Migration Institute for use in reception centres and at borders. Permanent support is being provided to the San Marcos Municipal Migration Affairs Committee for the implementation of a local policy on health care and monitoring for returning migrants and for its campaign against stigma and discrimination.

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BELIZE IOM provided 300 personal hygiene kits to Belize’s Department of Human Services on 4 May 2020. In addition, with the support of Regional Office, IOM customized and printed 700 posters for the Ministry of Health Belize with public health recommendations for avoiding COVID-19. An additional 350 customized posters were printed and distributed to the business community and embassies. The posters will be placed in highly visible locations across the country. This assistance was provided under the PRM-funded Western Hemisphere Regional Migration Program.

MEXICO IOM Mexico has focused its COVID-19 response on supporting more than 40 shelters in Mexico, providing personal hygiene kits for migrants and sanitation products for the facilities, infrared thermometers, beds, mattresses, and other non-food items. Information on how to prevent COVID-19 spread in shelters has been produced in Spanish, English and Creole, and shared with other UN agencies. In coordination with WHO, UNICEF, UNHCR and other agencies, webinars for shelter administrators and civil society partners are currently occurring on a weekly basis for capacity building purposes. Two AVR operations occurred since late April, taking home 41 migrants from El Salvador, and 42 Honduran migrants in complex actions due to the challenges with closed borders in Central America. A digital campaign on non-discrimination against migrants via Twitter and Facebook was launched between April 8-26th, reaching +470K people.

CUBA IOM has provided cash support to stranded Bolivian tourists. IOM joined the “United Nations Framework for the immediate socioeconomic response to COVID-19”, that was launched by the OCR on April 28, with other UN Agencies, and is working on a matrix resulting from the effort of the Subgroup of Social Protection System.

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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Since the beginning of the emergency measures, IOM in the Dominican Republic has provided support to stranded tourists, Haitian and Venezuelan migrant populations and even the Dominican diaspora abroad residing in cities impacted by COVID-19 such as New York. In cooperation with its network of NGO partners and migrant associations, IOM has distributed prevention and advocacy messages (in Spanish and Creole), rental assistance, gloves and masks, food kits and resources to restore electricity and water service to a population of over 4,000. The beneficiaries range from Haitian university students to the musicians of the Dominican-Venezuelan symphony orchestra, hundreds of Venezuelan mothers with school-age children, 643 Haitian families in border towns and dozens of stranded migrants.

HAITI IOM installed containers and tents in the four official border crossing points to support the national authorities in the screening of migrants upon arrival in Haiti, and rehabilitated and equipped quarantines spaces. Weekly SitRep on border monitoring are published by DTM team to better understand the migratory flows between Haiti and DR. Nowadays, IOM reports over 27,000 returns in the 50 border crossing points (4 official and 46 no official). IOM provided more than 12,500 hygiene kits for the most vulnerable migrants and EPP for the local partner to prevent the spread of COVID19. Awareness raising campaigns were realized with local partners at the points of entry. Finally, IOM in coordination with MSPP established a call center with IOM staff for psychosocial assistance and follow up on COVID-19 symptoms for 14 days upon their return.

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BAHAMAS IOM Bahamas has provided technical advice on coordination and information management to the newly established Bahamas National Food Committee (BNFC), a collaboration of over 100 NGO’s. Additionally, IOM Bahamas has assisted in the translation of COVID-19 print and audio messages provided by the Ministry of Health in Creole, Tagalog, Mandarin and Spanish. IOM Bahamas also provides technical advice to conducting a comprehensive nationwide COVID-19 DTM risk assessments in all settlements on six islands where migrants reside. IOM has procured 5,000 bottles of hand sanitizer and supports the distribution of hygiene products to emergency shelters and communities of displaced persons. IOM is ready to donate 3 pre-fab office containers for expansion of the capacity of the RAND memorial hospital in Freeport, Grand Bahama, which was severely damaged by hurricane Dorian in September 2019. These activities have been funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

DOMINICA IOM translated into Haitian Creole, Spanish, French and Mandarin pre-approved messages on health protocols, including the government’s COVID Hotline numbers, for the information of the major migrant communities. Messages were placed in visible public areas and through focal points, to the migrant communities’ residential pockets. They were also shared on social media, including WhatsApp and Facebook, and sent through the migrant networks via focal points. Initial collaborations with the Dominica Red Cross resulted in delivery of over 100 care packs to patients and staff of the Covid-19 quarantine and isolation units. Patients and staff at the COVID-19 and Isolation units, including 80 Cuban medical staff, received water, hygiene items such as gloves, masks, bleach, isopropyl alcohol (90%). UN anti-discriminatory messaging was shared to reduce the stigmatization and avoid discrimination against the index cases, several of whom were travelers.

JAMAICA Prior to the first case of COVID-19 in Jamaica, IOM took the initiative to act as a communicative medium between migrant groups within Jamaica and the Government. The main role of the mission was to share COVID-19 content targeted to migrants within Jamaica and for the Jamaican diaspora on social media platforms. IOM also engaged directly with migrants and diaspora members through student groups and embassies/consulates in Jamaica as well as with diaspora groups. To date, the mission has reached over 3000 persons. The mission is currently liaising with the Ministry of National Security to provide support to Jamaicans who have recently returned to the island after being stranded overseas and are now in dire need of assistance.

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ARUBA IOM, with other R4V members, translated to Spanish information on the prevention of COVID-19 and decisions made by the authorities regarding labor and mobility restrictions and border closures. Furthermore, approximately 300 persons have benefitted from cash-based interventions (CBI) trough gift cards for food and non-food items. IOM supported the Department of Integration and Management of Foreigners with administrative assistance to reduce their case backlog and helped the Counter-Trafficking Task Force in with the development of material on human trafficking prevention.

CURAZAO Activities in areas of CBI, shelter, food, and non-food items (NFI) have been ramped up to meet the exponential increase of the needs of the target population in these areas. IOM’s partner organizations are implementing activities in areas of medical and psychosocial health support. IOM is drafting procedures for trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling cases, expected to be presented to the government by the end of June. IOM continues to provide technical support around food security; the Red Cross has reached out to IOM to maintain this coordinating role throughout the forthcoming months. The activities in this area will continue until September with funding by the Dutch government.

GUYANA IOM has been partnering with the Government of , communities, local NGOs and other UN agencies to bring relief to various migrant groups. The agency has worked closely with the Ministry of Public Health to translate and disseminate relevant information into Spanish, Portuguese and Haitian Creole. In helping to prevent the spread of the virus, IOM has also teamed up with the ministry to conduct health screenings in the country’s hinterland areas. Additionally, IOM has coordinated with local authorities to set up handwashing stations at strategic locations in border communities where migrants have little access to sanitary facilities. Under the Response for (R4V) programme, the agency was able to coordinate and provide food and non-food assistance to migrants, inclusive of facemasks and sanitary products, and continues to do so.

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