Washington, D.C. – A new study supported by IOM, the UN Migration Agency, confirms a clear link between food insecurity and migration in the Central American countries of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

The study found that reduced agricultural productivity and loss of crops are the second most-cited causes of migration for populations living in the Dry Corridor of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Poverty and unemployment were the first most cited causes. This research was conducted by the World Food Programme (WFP) in partnership with IOM, the Organization of American States (OAS), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

 Launched publicly by David Beasly, WFP Executive Director, at the Organization of American States in Washington, D.C., on 23 August, the report builds on the results and recommendations of the 2015 exploratory study, Hunger without Borders. Ministers from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala participated in the launch event.  

“Without human rights, there is no social inclusion nor democracy nor societies in peace,” said Nestor Mendez, OAS Assistant Secretary General, at the opening of the event. “When millions of our fellow citizens are hungry, when the benefits of development do not reach everyone, when wealth is only shared by some, we cannot ensure a democratic path for our region,” said Mendez.

This new study confirms that adverse climatic conditions, including El Niño, in the Dry Corridor affect food security by curbing agricultural productivity in commercial and subsistence farming, as well as agricultural work opportunities.

Nearly half (47 per cent) of the families interviewed for this study were food insecure. The report notes that these levels of food insecurity have not been previously seen in the region.

As a result of the drought and the effects of El Niño, the study reports a significant increase in irregular migration to the United States since 2014.

In fact, the flow of emigrants from the three Central American nations has increased substantially since 2010, while migration from Mexico to the US has diminished in recent years. Although the majority of those who migrate are young men (79 per cent are between the ages of 20 and 29), the report also notes an increasing number of unaccompanied children fleeing the Dry Corridor for the United States.

“Migration is an adaptive strategy to adverse climatic conditions and food insecurity, and we expect it to continue,” said Luca Dall’Oglio, IOM Washington Chief of Mission, during the launch.

“Extreme environmental events such as cyclones, hurricanes, tsunamis and tornadoes tend to result in the displacement of people and thus capture the media headlines, but gradual and slow-onset changes in the environment may have a much greater impact on the permanent movement of people in the future,” added Dall’Oglio.

The report shows the need to invest in long-term programmes to avert the migration of people in the Dry Corridor. It also highlights the need to reduce the dangers faced by migrants on their trip to the north and the impact on families left behind after the departure of the strongest members of the family in search of better opportunities.

Download the report here: Food Security and Emigration: Why people flee and the impact on family members left behind in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras  

For more information, please contact Hajer Naili at IOM Washington, Tel: +1 202 568 3757, Email: hnaili@iom.int