Politics

Panama criticizes MSF for sending ‘incomplete’ reports of migrants raped in Darien

Panama City, Mar 8 (EFE).- The Panamanian government on Friday criticized Doctors Without Borders (MSF) for sending “incomplete” reports on migrant victims of sexual violence transiting through the Darién, the dangerous jungle border with Colombia used as a migration route.

The Panamanian government also confirmed that the NGO was no longer authorized to provide medical services in the region, as the bilateral agreement had been terminated.

The Ministry of Health stated that in response to the “alleged reports of sexual violence,” MSF must immediately give details to local authorities on the individuals affected so that they can investigate the cases from a legal and medical scope.

“On several occasions, the Ministry of Health has asked MSF to share the complete file of alleged victims of sexual violence, but these reports have been sent incomplete,” the statement added.

The Panamanian government is “evaluating” whether MSF has “complied with the norms established and stipulated in the cooperation agreement, which require notification and provision of the clinical history of patients, essential for any investigation and follow-up on reported cases.”

MSF reported on Thursday that it had been forced to suspend its medical and humanitarian activities in Darién since Mar. 4 by “order” of the Panamanian government due to a lack of an agreement with the authorities.

The NGO had been “trying in vain to obtain such a renewal since October 2023.”

The Panamanian government confirmed that the cooperation agreement ended on Dec. 31, “therefore this organization is not currently authorized to provide health care and fulfill other commitments established in the agreement.”

They added that they had “formally notified MSF on 29 Feb. 2024 of the suspension of its activities pending the completion of the review and evaluation of the agreement, as the period agreed between the two parties expired”.

MSF said on Thursday it was “concerned about the consequences of the suspension for the migrant population”, as its medical teams provide physical and psychological care to an average of almost 5,000 people a month, “with a particular focus on survivors of sexual violence.”

In 2023, 676 migrant victims of sexual violence in Darién received medical care from MSF, and in January 2024 alone, the NGO registered 120 more cases.

In February, the organization again denounced the increase of “brutal attacks and sexual violence in the jungle.”

According to MSF, “an act of sexual violence occurs every three and a half hours” in the Darién Gap.

The increase in the number of migrants crossing the Darién on their way to the US or Canada in search of better living conditions has been progressive since 2021, reaching a record number of more than 520,000 in 2023, double that of the previous year. EFE

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