AMERICA/PERU - Social and health crisis: hundreds of migrants from Brazil stranded at the border

Wednesday, 17 February 2021 local churches   human rights   coronavirus   emigration  

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Puerto Maldonado (Agenzia Fides) - The Apostolic Vicar of Puerto Maldonado has addressed an appeal to the government authorities about the development on the border with Brazil: After the arrival of more than 300 migrants, mainly from Haiti, the bridge that marks the border crossing between Acre (Brazil ) and Madre de Dios (Peru) has become a real social and health emergency due to the closure decided upon as a result of health measures.
"We believe that an immediate solution to this situation must be found in order to prevent the outbreak of serious social conflict", the Vicariate underlines in its statement. "Our pastoral workers on the border between Brazil and Peru report that currently about 380 migrants, mainly Haitians, but also from Senegal, Burkina Faso, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India, want to enter Peru in order to get to the Tumbes region and up there to the border with Ecuador in order to go from there to achieve their respective goals", reads the statement.
"Among the migrants there are also pregnant women, minors and women with young children", the Vicariate continues. "The Brazilian community of Assis sent a medical team to the region on Sunday 14 February to assess the health of the most vulnerable, checking the border and handling emergencies where it was urgently needed".
"In Iñapari (Peru) - informs the statement - the regional government of Madre de Dios has the necessary infrastructure to PCR test all migrants to ensure that humanitarian aid is carried out successfully, without risk to public health". Therefore, the Vicariate urges regional and national government agencies
"to find a solution capable of responding immediately to this emergency in order to avoid a social conflict that would add to the serious problems already existing" concludes the message of the Apostolic Vicar. (CE) (Agenzia Fides, 17/2/2021)


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