Children a big part of migration through perilous Darien Gap

Every day, at least 500 migrants from around the world sail out of the Colombian town of Necocli and across the Gulf of Uraba to start a week-long trek through the jungle into Panama

NECOCLI, Colombia -- Every day, at least 500 migrants from around the world sail out of Necocli, a small town on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, across the Gulf of Uraba to the village of Acandi, to start a week-long trek through the jungle that takes them into Panama — the next stop on the long road to the United States.

About one quarter of them are children, according to Panamanian officials, and often still in arms.

While trekking through the lawless jungle known as the Darien Gap, migrants face the risks of being swept away by rivers, assaulted by armed groups or getting lost in the rainforest. Yet thousands of families are making the journey, hoping for a new life.

“We we want God to help us prosper” said Jackie Charles, a Haitian who was boarding a boat in Necocli. “Our country is in crisis and we need to support our family.”