As the Darién Gap—the jungle between Colombia and Panama—increasingly becomes a highway for hundreds of thousands of migrants from around the world, Pope Francis called for a “humanitarian response.”
“I want to remember the thousands of migrants who try to cross the Darien jungle between Colombia and Panama,” he said. “They are often families with children who venture down dangerous paths, deceived by those who falsely promise them a short and safe route.”
Noting that some migrants are “mistreated and robbed,” and “not a few lose their lives,” the Pope called for a “joint effort of the most directly affected countries and the international community to prevent this tragic reality from passing in silence and together to provide a humanitarian response.”