The Darién gap in between Colombia and Panama is one of the most inhospitable places in the world, yet hundreds of thousands continue to cross this dangerous migration route every year, seeking safety and better livelihood opportunities. IOM has established multiple coordination mechanisms in the two border provinces of Darién and Chiriquí, to strengthen migration and border management. 

In 2022, when the number of border crossings along this route nearly doubled compared to the previous year, IOM scaled up their response by providing critical NFIs and temporary shelters at government-run reception centres. At the Temporary Migration Reception Centre in Los Planes de Gualaca, Chiriquí, IOM installed 30 RHUs as temporary shelters for arriving migrants who crossed the Darién Gap.