Panama Appeals for International Aid to Clean Up Darién Jungle

Panama Seeks International Help to Clean Up Darién Jungle: The Panamanian government is appealing for international assistance to decontaminate the Darién Gap, an area severely polluted by the recent surge in irregular migration. The jungle is littered with plastic waste and other refuse, posing a significant environmental threat. "The plastic doesn't degrade; it doesn't decompose; it doesn't disappear for hundreds of years," stated Carlos Guevara Mann, Vice Minister of Multilateral Affairs, highlighting the urgency of the situation. The UN representative, Ana Graca, emphasized the need to support the socioeconomic recovery of Darién's communities, many of whom relied on the irregular migrant flow. The government's request for international aid underscores the scale of the environmental and humanitarian crisis in the region.