On 12 October, the US Department of Homeland Security announced joint actions with Mexico to create a more orderly and safe immigration system for Venezuelans. This aims to reduce the number of people arriving at the southwestern US border. At the same time, the number of stranded people unlikely to reach their destination is increasing, and the response capacity is overwhelmed.

This report aims to give an overview of the situation of migrants and asylum seekers in these areas, as well as those in transit across the country. It includes the most immediate humanitarian needs, access constraints, and information gaps.

At the end of August, the number of recorded COVID-19 deaths in Mexico reached 60,000, making it the country with the third highest death toll in the world, after the United States and Brazil. The COVID-19 epidemic in Mexico is interacting with other crisis dynamics in the country. 

Since the beginning of 2019, a regional epidemic cycle of dengue has broken out in Latin American and the Caribbean. According to the government, as of 2 September, Mexico has 11,600 confirmed cases of dengue, including 798 cases of severe dengue. However, the total number of probable cases is expected to be much higher by the end of 2019.

Since 13 October, several thousand migrants have left Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala to form two large caravans and multiple smaller groups travelling by foot towards the United States border. At least 9,000 people have entered Mexican territory since 19 October. Protection concerns as well as urgent food, water, health and shelter needs have been reported.

In the northern state of Sinaloa, more than 150,000 people were affected by the passage of tropical depression 19-E near the eastern coast of Mexico from 18–21 September. Around 3,500 people were evacuated to temporary shelters and flooding damaged more than 19,000 houses. The agricultural sector reported significant damage and loss of livelihoods.

On 7 September, an 8.1 magnitude earthquake struck Mexico’s southern Pacific Coast, about 8km southwest of Pijijiapan in Chiapas state. A related 7.6 earthquake occurred in Guatemala the same evening. In Mexico, 90 people were killed and at least 200 injured. In Guatemala, an estimated 4,500 people were affected.