Mexico — humanitarian situation

Mexico is experiencing a severe measles outbreak as part of a wider regional epidemic affecting Latin America and the Caribbean. As of 25 July 2026, Mexico had reported 12,233 confirmed measles cases, representing the second-highest national total in the Americas after Guatemala PAHO. This figure places Mexico among four countries accounting for 97 percent of the region's 47,026 confirmed cases between epidemiological weeks 1 and 29. The regional outbreak represents approximately a five-fold increase compared to the same period in 2025, with the Americas recording its highest number of confirmed measles cases in 22 years PAHO. The Pan American Health Organization has issued an epidemiological alert citing very high public health risk due to ongoing outbreaks, immunity gaps, and increased population mobility, urging Member States to strengthen vaccination coverage, surveillance systems, and rapid outbreak response measures. The measles situation occurs within a broader context of mixed migration dynamics affecting Mexico and Central America. The United States Supreme Court has approved several previously stalled immigration policies, including elimination of temporary protection status and blocking asylum at the border, reversing lower court suspensions and allowing the administration to proceed with implementation MMC. These policy changes are expected to influence migration patterns through Mexico toward North America. The International Organization for Migration's Displacement Tracking Matrix identified 1,414 migratory movements at five strategic flow monitoring points in neighboring Guatemala during June 2026, emphasizing continued irregular migration through the region IOM. Beyond the immediate measles crisis, the broader Latin American and Caribbean region faces multiple concurrent emergencies that may indirectly affect Mexico's humanitarian context. Venezuela experienced devastating earthquakes on 24 June that resulted in 5,300 deaths, while Colombia declared a national state of emergency following a 7.4 magnitude earthquake on 10 August that killed 266 people and affected 53,800 individuals OCHA. Regional dengue transmission has decreased substantially, with 1,432,399 suspected cases through epidemiological week 28 representing a 61 percent decline compared to 2025 PAHO. These regional developments underscore the complex public health environment within which Mexico's measles outbreak is unfolding.