COVID-19 Response & Migration Reception Centers: Lessons from Panama
As the government of Panama closed borders to curb the spread of COVID-19, many extra-regional and extra-continental migrants, became stranded. IOM Panama’s actions focused on rehabilitating migration reception centers and strategically applying DTM to cooperate with other humanitarian agents in the country to provide evidence-based assistance.
CwM PODCAST - Episode 3. / Overcoming Challenges related to Panama's Migrant Reception Centers during the Pandemic
Beneficiaries
Migrants stranded in Panama due to border closures following the COVID-19 pandemic
SUMMARY SHEETS:
- Construction of San Vicente Reception Center
- Interventions in La Peñita and Lajas Blancas
- Strategic Use of the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM)
- Inter-Agency Coordination
Main Actions
- Reinforcing the inter-agency mechanism to approach the issue of stranded migrants strategically and multidimensionally.
- Habilitating tow temporary migrant reception centers, one of these to isolate COVID-19 positive migrants.
- Adapting the DTM (Displacement Tracking Matrix) tool for tracking assessing the migrants needs.
Recommendations
- IOM benefitted from its own previous knowledge and experience in temporary shelters (not only in Panama but also other regions).
- The strategic use of the DTM as an Emergency Tracking Tool, allowed the mission to respond based on the detected needs.
- Inter-Agency coordination proved to be instrumental in successfully providing humanitarian assistance to beneficiaries.
Contact
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