Increasing community resilience in the face of significant poverty, violence, poor governance, corruption, and climate change, all of which contribute to irregular migration
WHY IS USAID/OTI IN CENTRAL AMERICA
Persistent instability and insecurity in Central America have a significant and direct impact on U.S. national security interests. Far too many Central Americans, particularly in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, suffer from crime, corruption, gang activity, and lack of opportunities, which compel them to migrate. The February 2021 Executive Order on Creating a Comprehensive Regional Framework to Address the Causes of Migration, to Manage Migration Throughout North and Central America, and to Provide Safe and Orderly Processing of Asylum Seekers at the United States Border lays out a comprehensive approach to managing irregular migration flows consistent with U.S. values. As the United States’ lead development Agency, USAID provides assistance to promote economic growth; improve security; support democracy, human rights, and good governance; and increase community resilience, to increase hope and opportunity so people can confidently build their lives at home.
USAID/OTI’s ROLE IN CENTRAL AMERICA
The Central America Regional Initiative (CARI) program supports local partners in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to increase community resilience in the face of significant poverty, violence, poor governance, corruption, and climate change, all of which contribute to irregular migration. The program develops and tests new approaches to strengthen the systems, social networks, behaviors, and perceptions that foster a sense of rootedness and hope for the future in communities with high out-migration rates. OTI works in close coordination with other USG agencies and programmatic objectives will evolve accordingly.
INITIAL TARGET ISSUES & AREAS
El Salvador: OTI complements USAID/El Salvador’s work in areas with the highest rates of irregular migration: San Salvador, Santa Ana, and San Miguel. The program works to mitigate crime and violence in the public transportation sector, improve security in public spaces; and pilot new ways to strengthen community resilience to crime and economic hardship.
Guatemala: OTI complements USAID/Guatemala’s strategy to address the root causes of irregular migration in the Western Highlands, a region with high migration rates. The program focuses on small infrastructure activities; needed services; and activities aligned with USAID/Guatemala's Indigenous Peoples' Engagement Strategy.
Honduras: OTI complements USAID/Honduras’ work to strengthen rootedness in key geographic areas within Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula. The program works to pilot anti-corruption initiatives at the community and municipal levels and with the private sector; improve citizen security, particularly among vulnerable populations such as women, youth, and the LGBTQ+ community; and build community resilience to the effects of climate change.