El Salvador Crisis Response Plan 2023 - 2025

CRP last updated: December 17 2024
$17,780,000
Funding required
818,700
People in need
31,500
People Targeted
19
Entities targeted

IOM, in partnership with other key strategic actors, seeks to strengthen institutional and community capacities to better prepare for and respond to crisis situations in El Salvador. IOM will contribute to efforts to address humanitarian needs arising from disasters, alongside the challenges arising from large-scale movements to and from the United States and Mexico, working to reduce the risks and vulnerabilities of affected populations and support sustainable recovery, reintegration and preparedness at national and local levels.  

INFORM Risk 

4,2, Medium 

INFORM Severity 

4, High 

Human Development Index 

127 of 193 

El Salvador is located in Central America, a region vulnerable to disasters, risks and intertropical convergence. The country experiences a variety of climatic events, including floods, hurricanes and droughts, particularly in the Dry Corridor, and is prone to geological events such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions (DGPC 2023). These recurrent shocks are becoming more intense; in the last seven years, storms and hurricanes have increased both in number and destructive force. Therefore, human mobility flows will continue at high levels, including outbound, transit, and return migration, as well as forced displacement within the country. The different impacts of these movements will maintain the need for temporary collective centres with effective management and coordination mechanisms to respond to humanitarian needs.  

These recurrent shocks are increasingly more intense, and their causes and effects are linked to climate change, migration, and economic, social, political, and environmental factors. For example, El Salvador was struck by Tropical Storm Julia in 2022. The most flood-affected areas were vulnerable rural and shanty town communities, three of which were especially affected. At least 2,125 affected people were housed in 74 collective centrers and 58 roads were damaged or blocked (OCHA 2022). 

Global situations such as the pandemic, current dynamics and price inflation have led to the population being limited in obtaining employment, housing, social coverage, access to basic services, quality food, and education, among others.

IOM in El Salvador collaborates closely with the General Directorate of Civil Protection (DGPC) and the Directorate of Collective Centers (DA), both under the Ministry of Interior. IOM also partners with other organizations, including non-governmental organizations, Local Municipalities, the Association of Municipalities and Municipal and Local Emergency Committees.  

IOM co-leads with UNHCR the Sector for Coordination and Management of Temporary Collective Centres - the Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) sector - in the country since 2022 and, as such, has been working for several years in close coordination with different stakeholders to improve living conditions in collective centres. In this regard, IOM has supported the national government, local authorities, and communities through the provision of technical assistance, awareness raising, training, tools, and protocols to strengthen their capacities in terms of management and coordination of collective centres. Furthermore, IOM regularly participates in inter-agency forums such as the United Nations Country Team (UNCT), Humanitarian Country Team (HCT), and UN Network on Migration (UNNM), among others. To ensure the sustainability of the actions, coordination between active Sectors from the United Nations in El Salvador avoids duplicative efforts and ensures the sustainability of the activities and the international minimum standards for humanitarian assistance.    

DGPC is an entity created to coordinate public and private organizations in the face of disasters and is part of the National Risk Management System of El Salvador. DA is the entity of the Ministry of Interior that manages, coordinates, and articulates emergency collective centres to effectively support vulnerable populations around the country. Given their strategic position among governmental mechanisms for migration management and their consolidated relationship with the humanitarian network, DGPC and DA are priority partners for the implementation of activities by IOM El Salvador.

The IOM Regional Office for the Americas, comprising 24 countries, oversees, plans, coordinates and supports IOM activities in the region; formulates regional strategies, guides their implementation and also implements regional programmes of strategic importance and provides programmatic support in the region on specific issues such as labour migration, immigration and border governance, action against smuggling and trafficking in persons, protection of rights, migration and health, migration and environment and climate change, among others. In addition, the Regional Office serves as a link and coordinates with regional and subregional processes and initiatives, United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, intergovernmental organizations such as the Central American Integration System (SICA), the Regional Conference on Migration (CRM) and other key stakeholders.  

El Salvador became a member of IOM in 1968, and the Organization has maintained an office in the country's capital since 1983. The Country Office works in coordination with the Government, the UN System, civil society and the private sector to improve results for the benefit of people on the move throughout the migration cycle (migrants, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and returnees) and their communities. In El Salvador, IOM is an active member of the United Nations Country Team and the Humanitarian Country Team and shares the lead of the Sector for Coordination and Management of Temporary Collective Centers (CCCM).    

In the last five years, the Mission has provided support and implemented programmes in the following areas: institutional capacities for migration governance, prevention of irregular migration, dignified assisted voluntary returns, post-arrival assistance, sustainable reintegration, humanitarian assistance, protection, resettlement, provision of pre-departure cultural orientation for resettlement to third country beneficiaries, empowerment of migrant women and youth, quality of and access to education and health for migrants and displaced persons, basic infrastructure, disaster preparedness and response, and migration data for evidence-based decision-making, among others.

IOM provides support to government institutions such as the DGPC and DA through training on the management and coordination of collective centres, site planning, DTM and other tools to strengthen technical teams that work continuously in emergency response. In addition, the Organization has trained the government in specific territories at other levels of the Civil Protection System on protection issues, and psychological first aid, among others. 

Likewise, in coordination with the DGPC and DA, IOM supports the baseline data of the national-level mapping of collective centres infrastructure, including updating and equiping some of these spaces in line with the Sphere Minimum Standards to ensure access to dignified and protective shelter for the affected populations. 

While training needs to remain at all technical levels (national, departmental, and municipal), IOM strengthened local capacities by providing training to the National Civil Protection System on key topics such as CCCM, CCCM training of trainers (ToT), Protection, PSEA, and site planning. In addition, given new dynamics in the prevention, mitigation, and emergency response in the country, IOM plans to continue to support the government in updating and adapting relevant plans, documents, and training modules to better respond to the evolving context. 

IOM's strategy for El Salvador 2023-2026 has three objectives and ten outcomes to guide the organization's work. The first objective is resilience, supporting vulnerable people and their communities, driving the reduction of vulnerabilities and fostering sustainable reintegration. The second objective is mobility, promoting regular migration and supporting government efforts to strengthen protection and security around the migration process. The third objective is governance, supporting El Salvador in migration governance and strengthening cooperation with the UN and regional mechanisms through data, analysis and research.

Key Operating Modalities
Participation and empowerment Conflict sensitivity Integrated Programming Collaboration and partnership Localization Cash-based interventions
Cross-cutting priorities
Data and evidence Protection Mainstreaming Gender Equality Prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse Disaster Risk Climate Change Law and policy

IOM El Salvador will implement a localization strategy based on the 5 pillars. We maintain a strong alliance with key partners at the national and local level that allows us to carry out our humanitarian actions quickly and effectively. The proposed interventions are based on the humanitarian needs that displaced populations by disasters or other factors have mentioned through different emergency processes in which IOM has been able to make field visits and talk with these populations. We coordinate with Civil Protection at all levels of the response (national, departmental, municipal and local), with municipalities, communities and vulnerable populations. 

Also, a close coordination is maintained with the General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide timely support to returnees in vulnerable conditions such as people without roots, migrants with disabilities, women heads of household, among others, and to facilitate psychosocial, economic and social reintegration processes.

Objective 1 - Saving lives and protecting people on the move
Saving lives and protecting people on the move

$10,980,000
Funding required
25,000
People Targeted
19
Entities Targeted
Primary target groups
Internal migrant
Internally displaced person
International migrant
Local population / community

Facilitate safe and dignified access to humanitarian assistance according to the needs of people affected and displaced by emergencies situations caused by droughts, earthquakes, environmental degradation or effects resulting from climate change and migrants returning or in transit within the country. Support the addition of the prepositioning of humanitarian assistance to immediately respond to emergencies, work with health authorities to improve assistance to displaced populations due to emergencies and to populations on the move, safe, dignified and inclusive spaces for the immediate protection of these populations and provide specialized services such as psychosocial assistance, information on gender violence and refer cases to state protection institutions. 

Objective 2 - Driving solutions to displacement
Driving solutions to displacement

$6,300,000
Funding required
5,000
People Targeted
3
Entities Targeted
Primary target groups
Internal migrant
Internally displaced person
International migrant
Local population / community

Work hand in hand with the Salvadoran cooperation agency, civil protection and shelters to implement a pilot project to identify spaces for the adaptation of safe and multifunctional shelters.. Likewise, support the training of officials at all levels to provide adequate responses with humanitarian approaches in emergency situations, from the National School of Civil Protection. This with the aim of improving the capacities to prepare for future emergencies from a DRR approach, while strengthening resilience and adaptive capacities to climate change. 

Objective 1
Saving lives and protecting people on the move
$10,980,000
Funding required
[{"name":"Human suffering is alleviated","y":80},{"name":"Threats and vulnerabilities are reduced","y":20}]
Objective 2
Driving solutions to displacement
$6,300,000
Funding required
[{"name":"Adverse drivers of displacement are minimized","y":30},{"name":"Displaced people are resilient and self-reliant","y":70}]

Percentage of funding required contributing to the long term outcomes expressed on IOM's Strategic Results Framework.

$7,200,000
Funding required
Related inter agency plans
H(N)RP

IOM will work across sectors and with the protection sector, in which it actively participates, with the aim of ensuring that protection is central to its interventions. Protection principles will be mainstreamed across interventions to ensure safety and dignity, avoid causing harm and guarantee meaningful access to assistance for all the persons in need, without discrimination. In addition, a PSEA officer who provides support to implement actions to prevent and identify possible cases that must be addressed immediately. Feedback mechanisms will be implemented to allow the people assisted to report on the humanitarian actions implemented and how this affects their daily lives. 

IOM is committed to integrating GBV risk mitigation across all sectors of its operations. IOM El Salvador will work to reduce the risk of exposure to GBV for all women, girls and other vulnerable groups at risks of GBV. 

$7,200,000
Funding required
[["Saving lives",58],["Solutions to displacement",35],["Facilitating pathways for regular migration",7]]
IOM's participation in the Risk Reduction Fair. © Noe Alvarado / IOM El Salvador 2023
IOM's participation in the Risk Reduction Fair. © Noe Alvarado / IOM El Salvador 2023
Basic needs, including food and multi-purpose cash assistance
$800,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP
Camp coordination and camp management
$100,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP
Mental health and psychosocial support
$200,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP
Protection
$200,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP
Water, sanitation and hygiene
$1,400,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP
Shelter and settlements
$3,500,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP
Disaster risk management
$1,900,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP MRP
Data for action, insight and foresight
$280,000 Funding required
Health
$2,000,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP
Land and property
$200,000 Funding required
Operational presence in

El Salvador

48
International staff and affiliated work force
737
National staff and affiliated work force
3
IOM field office

 

The map used here is for illustration purposes only. Names and boundaries do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by IOM.

Figures are as of November 2024. For more details of IOM's operational capacity in country, please see the IOM Capacity section.