WASHINGTON (August 5, 2021) — With the U.S. Administration’s release of its Strategy for Addressing the Root Causes of Migration in Central America and Collaborative Migration Management Strategy, CARE welcomes this much needed step to begin tackling the Northern Triangle’s complex humanitarian and development challenges. As implementation begins, CARE urges the Administration to uphold the commitments entailed in the Strategy to promote inclusive engagement and a rights-based response.
With over 60 years of experience working with communities in the Northern Triangle, CARE knows firsthand the importance of ensuring that aid responses include robust and wide-ranging participation by civil society. Further, it is not enough for the strategies to recognize the special risks faced by historically marginalized groups such as women and youth, indigenous communities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and afro-descendants. To achieve lasting solutions, these populations must be able to actively and meaningfully participate in the strategies’ planning and implementation processes.
Due to COVID-19 and the ongoing impact of hurricanes ETA and IOTA, much of the region’s hard-won development progress is at risk. The Administration’s pledge to champion programs that build communities’ resilience to natural disasters, improve food security, and support women’s economic empowerment in the Root Causes Strategy can help mitigate these risks. The Strategy’s incorporation of U.S. international economic and trade policies that aim to reduce inequality is another important element to ensure inclusive growth and alleviate poverty.
CARE commends the commitment to counter and prevent gender-based violence in the Strategy as a vital component to ensuring women and girls in the Northern Triangle can thrive, and not just survive.
Increasing levels of poverty, inequality, and unmet humanitarian needs impact communities and drive forced displacement. People on the move need protection responses that are gender transformative, rights-based, and uphold international humanitarian and human rights laws. In particular, CARE appreciates the Collaborative Migration Strategy’s emphasis on improving humane border management and urges the Administration to uphold the rights of asylum seekers throughout the region and at the border.
CARE looks forward to engaging with the U.S. Government, as well as stakeholders throughout the region to refine and realize development and humanitarian solutions for vulnerable communities in the Northern Triangle.