The United States Announces New Humanitarian Aid in Central America and Mexico 

Ned Price, Department Spokesperson

The United States, through the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), is providing more than $20 million in additional  assistance to help meet urgent humanitarian needs for the nearly 700,000 asylum seekers, refugees, and vulnerable migrants in Central America and Mexico.  This additional funding brings the total U.S. humanitarian assistance for Central America and Mexico to more than $331 million for Fiscal Year 2021.

This additional funding will support increased access to international protection, access to  mental health and psychosocial support, legal assistance, shelter, and healthcare, including prevention and treatment of COVID-19.  Through its international organization partners, PRM funding also supports protection capacity building for governments in the region.

Through this new humanitarian assistance, the United States is advancing our mission to collaboratively manage migration in the region, including by promoting access to protection and increasing the U.S. response to urgent humanitarian needs in Central America and Mexico. This is part of the Administration’s comprehensive approach to supporting safe, orderly, and humane migration while also addressing the root causes of irregular migration in the region.

The United States is the largest single donor of humanitarian aid in Central America and Mexico and to asylum seekers, refugees, and vulnerable migrants in the region.  We remain concerned about the continuing increase in humanitarian needs and forced displacement in the region, and we urge other donors to contribute to the international response and provide the support needed to save lives.