CNN —Children are migrating through Latin America and the Caribbean in record numbers, driven by gang violence, poverty, instability and climate change, the United Nations reported Wednesday. In the first seven months of 2023, more than 60,000 children crossed the Darien Gap, a major migration route and treacherous stretch of jungle that connects South and Central America, more than any other year on record, said the UN’s Children Fund, UNICEF. “More and more children are on the move, at an increasingly young age, often alone and from diverse countries of origin, including from as far away as Africa and Asia,” said Garry Conille, director of UNICEF Latin America and the Caribbean. Already, border officials are seeing an increasing number of daily encounters at the border compared to earlier this summer. In July, the number of families apprehended at the border – one of the most vulnerable populations – nearly doubled compared to June, raising concerns within the Biden administration.

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Persons: Younger, ”, Garry Conille, ” Conille, Fernando Vergara, Biden Organizations: CNN, United Nations, Fund, UNICEF, UNICEF Latin, Caribbean, Migrants Locations: America, Caribbean, Darien, South, Central America, Africa, Asia, UNICEF Latin America, Latin America, Colombia, Panama, United States, Canada