The 2022-2027 Regional Development Cooperation Strategy (RDCS) of USAID/El Salvador -Central America and Mexico (E-CAM) Regional Mission focuses on regional solutions to development challenges that drive irregular migration from Central America to the United States. Each year hundreds of thousands of Central Americans leave their communities in search of better lives elsewhere. Many are destined to the U.S., migrating north through Mexico. The journey is costly and dangerous, and many end up as returnees from Mexico or the United States, who often attempt the trip again, creating a continuous cycle of irregular migration. While migration trends vary significantly from one year to the next in response to both push and pull factors, the principal push factors from Central America include a lack of economic opportunities, violence, poor governance and provision of public services, and vulnerability to climate shocks. In addition, development challenges are amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, and HIV/AIDS in the region continues to affect significant portions of certain vulnerable populations.
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