Children a big part of migration through perilous Darien Gap

By ASTRID SUÁREZ
Associated Press

NECOCLI, Colombia (AP) — 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. That’s just the next stop on a long road to the United States. Panamanian officials say bout a quarter of them are children, often still in arms. Those trekking through the lawless jungle known as the Darien Gap 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 to start a new life.