Costa Rica — humanitarian situation

Costa Rica serves as a critical transit corridor within hemispheric mixed migration flows, though movement dynamics shifted substantially in early 2026. Between 2024 and 2025, regular cross-border mobility from Nicaragua remained stable at approximately 300,000 annual entries, concentrated primarily at the Peñas Blancas and Las Tablillas border posts (IOM). However, by February 2026, south-north migratory movements through Costa Rica plummeted by 97 percent compared to the previous year, dropping from 851 to just 23 recorded movements, while north-south flows decreased 36 percent to 1,212 entries (IOM). Despite reduced transit volumes, the stranded population increased significantly, with 856 cases observed in public spaces—a 71 percent rise year-on-year—and 361 people recorded in shelters, representing a 156 percent increase from February 2025 (IOM). Regional funding constraints have severely undermined response capacity across the Americas. The 2025 Refugee and Migrant Response Plan secured only approximately 10 percent of required funding, forcing many partners to reduce or suspend activities throughout the year (R4V). This financial environment has limited the ability to support the millions of Venezuelan refugees and migrants across the region, alongside other displaced populations requiring assistance with socioeconomic inclusion, legal identity documentation, and access to employment and services (UNHCR). Operational pressures have intensified as mass gathering events, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup, approach amid rising measles transmission in the region, prompting health authorities to strengthen surveillance and vaccination coverage (PAHO). Environmental hazards compound operational challenges. In early June 2026, Costa Rica's meteorological institute issued alerts regarding favorable conditions for low-pressure system development in the Pacific maritime sector near Central American coasts, coinciding with active intertropical convergence zone activity (Cruz Roja Costarricense, IFRC). The country maintains anticipatory action frameworks supported by pre-arranged funding to mitigate flood impacts, with CHF 528,641 allocated through the IFRC Disaster Response Emergency Fund for early action implementation when triggers are reached (IFRC). The broader Latin America and Caribbean region recorded 45 active anticipatory action frameworks as of March 2026, with regional pre-arranged funding reaching USD 37.8 million (GTAA LAC).