Refugees

Meanwhile, the ongoing fighting in Sudan continues to make it difficult for aid to get into the country, leaving many children at risk of starvation.

The US government changed the rules governing how people can seek asylum at the US-Mexico border last week, as a pandemic-era policy called Title 42 expired. Although it may become more difficult, thousands of people are still making their way from South America to the US border, including migrants from all over the world. Some are making their way through the Darien Gap, a dangerous jungle that separates Colombia and Panama.

​​​​​​​The number of migrants waiting on the Mexican side of the border appears to be dwindling. Shelters in cities like Ciudad Juárez are emptying as many migrants have decided to surrender to US authorities before Title 42 ends on Thursday evening.

At the start of the war in Ukraine, much of Russia's cultural elite fled the country, including playwrights, filmmakers, artist and curators. A year on, they have established themselves in new cities across the world, a century after a previous exodus of Russian writers and artists reshaped global culture.

In the small village of Capurgana, at the entrance to the Darién jungle and near Colombia’s border with Panama, hundreds of villagers now work as guides and porters leading migrants across the rainforest.

Ukrainian refugees who fled abroad often struggle to find work and a suitable school for their children. In Bucharest, Romania, two Ukrainian mothers came up with a solution: create their own school.

While many Sudanese are fleeing the country, most people remain trapped in their homes as food and medical supplies dwindle. In the absence of outside help, neighborhood committees have formed to bring in food and water and to check on people's welfare.

With Title 42 restrictions set to end on May 11, migrants have been crossing into the US in large numbers. There are now as many as 2,500 migrants camped out in downtown El Paso, Texas. The city's mayor, who estimates that 10,000-12,000 more people are in Juárez, waiting to cross, has declared a state of emergency.

UN human rights groups have recorded over 500 children killed and nearly 1,000 injured from the Ukraine war. The Ukrainian hospital system has been overwhelmed, and only a fraction of injured children, like 6-year-old Karolina Daremyan, have been able to make the journey to the US for complicated medical procedures and rehabilitation.

Fighting continued on Wednesday on the outskirts of Sudan’s capital, Khartoum. A short-term ceasefire is in place, but the United Nations says it is only partially successful. Over the last 12 days, hundreds of people have been killed. Sudanese residents from the capital region are making tough decisions about leaving.