Costa Rica — humanitarian situation

Costa Rica experienced severe weather impacts beginning 13 August 2026, when progressive atmospheric instability developed over the Northern Zone and Caribbean Slope due to the interaction of the Intertropical Convergence Zone, elevated humidity, and successive tropical waves. The National Emergency Prevention and Response Commission CNE declared alerts as meteorological conditions deteriorated. Regional reporting indicates that 3,700 people were affected by severe weather across Costa Rica and Panama through mid-August OCHA. The Costa Rican Red Cross and IFRC activated response mechanisms to address flooding conditions triggered by the tropical wave passage. Beyond immediate weather impacts, Costa Rica faces agricultural challenges affecting food security. The 2026 main season paddy planting, accounting for approximately 60 percent of annual rice production, proceeded below average levels due to low market prices and elevated production costs FAO. Paddy production in 2025 was estimated below average, contributing to cereal import requirements approximately 25 percent above average for the 2025/26 period. Rice prices showed year-on-year declines as of May 2026, reflecting market pressures on producers. Costa Rica continues to experience regional migration dynamics as part of broader Latin American mobility patterns. Mixed migration flows across the region shifted during the first half of 2026 toward more fragmented, multidirectional, and intraregional movements, diverging from previous high-volume northbound transit patterns IOM. Venezuelan refugees and migrants maintain presence throughout the region, with Costa Rica serving as both a transit and destination country within these evolving migration corridors. Cuban migration dynamics also connect Caribbean populations with Central American countries including Costa Rica, though irregular movements have declined along several traditional transit routes during the January-May 2026 period. Public health surveillance continues across the region, with dengue incidence showing substantial decreases compared to previous years. As of epidemiological week 29, regional dengue cases declined 60 percent compared to the same 2025 period PAHO. PAHO issued alerts regarding measles cases increasing regionally in 2026, recommending Member States strengthen epidemiological surveillance and vaccination activities.