Prevention Campaign / Campana de Prevencion
In addition to search and rescue, Águilas is dedicated to spreading awareness about the very real dangers of crossing the border. Recently they received a grant from the San Diego-based organization International Relief Teams (IRT) to help fund an annual awareness and prevention campaign targeting migrant shelters throughout Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. Many migrants are misinformed —
sometimes intentionally — about the time, distance, and physical demands of attempting to cross the desert. They believe the trip takes only a few hours or a couple of days, when it might take up to 12 days of walking in extreme desert conditions. A person needs approximately a gallon or two of water per day to cross the desert, which they must physically carry. Additional hazards (cartels, snakes, rough terrain, exposure to the elements, etc.) further complicate the grueling trek. According to the International Organization of Migration’s (IOM) Missing Migrant’s Project, more than 3,600 people have been reported dead or missing since 2014 in the Americas. Sixty percent of these deaths were documented on the border between Mexico and the United States. Águilas’ yearly awareness campaign takes four to five weeks, covering migrant shelters from Mexico to Honduras.
Volunteers will travel by car to each site, speak to groups, distribute educational pamphlets, and put up posters to inform migrants of the many dangers of the desert, as well as how to call for help if they need to be rescued. To view or download a copy of the awareness campaign materials:
