A/HRC/59/49/Add.2 transportation on the Colombian side of the Darién region – migrants and refugees have to walk for days through dense and mountainous rainforest, often without food or water, and at risk of getting lost. Heavy rains, fast-rising rivers, dangerous wild animals and insects are among the risks that they face in the jungle. Injuries and sickness can be fatal. Some are lucky enough to be rescued: the National Border Service has doubled its infrastructure and operations since the number of migrants and refugees arriving through the Darién region has increased. Between 2021 and 2025, the Service’s Humanitarian Border Security Unit rescued 1,222 individuals. 29. In addition to the harsh geography, crossing the Darién region has affected many migrants and refugees physically and mentally owing to the prevalence of crimes and widespread violence. Robbery is common. Well-informed migrants and refugees do not carry any cash in the jungle. However, failure to pay extortion may heighten the risk of women, boys and girls, and LGBTIQ+ individuals being subjected to sexual and gender-based violence, including rape. 1. Impact on local communities 30. The Special Rapporteur visited the Emberá-Wounaan Indigenous community of Bajo Chiquito, where migrants are registered by the migration authorities and guided towards the migrant reception centre in Lajas Blancas, reachable by boat. Members of the community provide transportation services to migrants at a cost of $25 per person. They sell food and clothes rent out places to rest, and provide Wi-Fi and other products and services to migrants. Medical service are provided by medical teams from the Ministry of Health and civil society. During peak periods in 2023, approximately 2,000 to 3,000 migrants passed through the village daily. Leaders and members of the community informed the Special Rapporteur about the positive changes that migration had brought to the village, including potable water, better phone signal and Wi-Fi, enhanced access to medical services, new classrooms at local schools and other development projects and opportunities. Thanks to the income generated from migration, some youths in the village could pursue their dream studies, and a few could go to universities in the main cities. 31. Several Indigenous groups of various sizes live in the jungle in the Darién region. While some of the local population groups have benefited from migration, there are also challenges with regard to environmental, cultural and other socioeconomic aspects. Waste and garbage left by migrants in the jungle have burdened the local ecosystem and exceeded the capacity of waste management in Darién Province. Attracted by the money associated with migration, community members have abandoned traditional agricultural activities. Children have dropped out of school to assist their parents in providing transportation and other services to migrants. Following a significant decrease in the number of migrants and refugees passing through, the level of income generated from migration has dropped drastically. Having benefited from an income surge generated by migration, members of local communities are finding it difficult to adapt to the new reality as the economic bubble appears to have burst. Such difficulties are experienced particularly acutely by children and young people, who have been growing up in areas where migration has provided opportunities to make money quickly and easily. Crime prevention has become one of the biggest challenges and is a priority. Without other lucrative economic opportunities, local youths are exposed to and now tempted to get involved in criminal activities to retain their level of income. Other challenges include maintaining the positive changes, such as strengthened medical services and the provision of potable water, in a sustainable and permanent manner in the communities. 2. Sexual and gender-based violence 32. The Special Rapporteur expresses deep concern in relation to the disproportionate adverse effect of sexual and gender-based violence on women and girls in mixed movements. Data collected through surveys in February 2024 by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Ombudsperson’s Office revealed that one in five women had suffered sexual and gender-based violence in the jungle. Public reports by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and a wide range of civil society organizations have similar findings. The Special Rapporteur draws 6 GE.25-06871